Pop Culture and Politics on the Artistic Spectrum
THE REAL DOCTOR (Chapter ?) Draft Written by Alex Gross (copyright 2019) Doctor Thomas Fenton wasn’t a real doctor. Not really. He called himself “doctor,” signed documents as “Doctor,” and introduced himself to his second, and third wife as “doctor,” but he wasn’t really a doctor at all. It bothered him of course, that he… Continue reading Space Force 6 (Chapter Excerpt)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, teens! As promised, we bring you the premiere of our "first" short film: AUTO SHOP! https://youtu.be/NpKx7CRgjr0?t=10s
The chronicles of our trip to Enid, OK / Fly Film Festival, Auto Shop and lap Alfredo / A Song of Fire and Fire with Game of Thrones / American Airlines finally gets us home / Roxborough Night Market / A Festival of Alt-Lights / We are men, not Nazis / Tragedy in Charlottesville /… Continue reading Rox Trash Radio, Ep. 42: Chasing Enid
Philadelphia-Based Production Studio's Dark Comedy Named "Official Selection" to Top 100 Film Festival PHILADELPHIA - June 12, 2017 - PRLog -- AUTO SHOP, the highly-anticipated dark comedy from Sailor Twift Studios, has been named an "official selection" to the fourth annual FLY Film Festival in Enid, Oklahoma; a Film Freeway Top 100 reviewed festival. AUTO… Continue reading Sailor Twift Studios’ First Film Auto Shop Premiering at FLY Film Festival
In the 95th year of the 20th Century, something extraordinary happened. Valeri Polyakov broke the record for days spent in space on the Mir Space Station at 366. Subsequently, the TV series Star Trek: Voyager premiered on UPN. And while the opening statements began for the O.J. Simpson trial, and America was wrapped up in race-baiting… Continue reading Disney Pre-9/11 Video Vault: Man of the House
This is it! The final weekend before Halloween and you need to give some love and attention to the classics. The classic horror flicks had the ability to send chills up your spine without all of the special effects and gore that is used in modern horror movies. No other voice delivers the chills quite… Continue reading Weekend Horror Flick Viewing 10/28
This was certainly an interesting endeavor and I thank all of those who participated. Last week I asked around for people’s favorite horror movie between 1990- 2002. The variety of responses was surprising, I thought Scream was going to be the top pick by a landslide, it wasn’t. Funny note, I posted a status on… Continue reading Weekend Horror Flick Viewing (10/20): ‘Member Berry Edition
The year is 1992. The President of the United States, George H.W. Bush had been filmed vomiting in the lap of the Prime Minister of Japan. America saw that happen. To his credit, he also met with the President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, to officially bring the Cold War to a close. But to his demise,… Continue reading Disney Pre-9/11 Video Vault: 3 Ninjas
Yeah, sure--the whole karate thing is cool when you’re a kid and you think that you actually have the ability to be become a karate master like Rocky, Colt, and Tum-Tum. Well guess what, bub! You never had the ability and you never will! You’re an adult and now you’re lessons are to be learned… Continue reading 3 Ninjas Taught Us How to Prep for a Kidnapping
1996 was a big cultural year for America. We hosted the Atlanta Summer Olympics, which was subsequently bombed by terrorists, killing one person and injuring over 100 more; the first three-parent baby was conceived through mitochondrial donation in New Jersey, of all places; The Ramones played their final show while Bob Dole was officially nominated for President… Continue reading Disney Pre-9/11 Video Vault: First Kid
It’s the Halloween season and you’re feeling like watching some horror flicks. Is it that simple? Hell no! There is a variety of spooky, chilling, haunting, terrifying, yucky, and whatever other words we want to use to describe your secret blood lust that isn’t really a secret because you like to talk about how much… Continue reading Weekend Horror Flick Viewing (10/6)
How many Wolverine stand-alone movies have there been? Dear god, this will only be three? It feels like so many more. Probably because Hugh Jackman has been the focal point of so many X-Men films by now that his character become pretty much synonymous with the franchise. So what are they going to do when he's gone? There's… Continue reading Who’s Ready for Another Wolverine?
If you haven't heard of Total NonStop Action, or Impact Wrestling, or NWA: TNA, or whatever it's called this month, there's a pretty good reason. WWE, has taken great pride in being not only the leader in sports entertainment, but the only player in sports entertainment. The goal for the WWE has always been total domination of the professional wrestling market, and… Continue reading Oh Billy: TNA Wrestling’s Fight to Stay Afloat
Our not-so-secret short film project kicked off last weekend after a period of writing, re-writing, difficult casting, and even-more-difficult location scouting. Special thanks to Scally's Auto Repair in Clifton Heights, PA for being a life-saver. After two full days of rigorous early-Autumn shooting, we wrapped photograph for our supplemental cast members and tacked on an extra… Continue reading Sailor Twift Movie: War Journals #1
Ever since J.J. Abrams put a hard reboot on the Star Trek franchise way back in the year of our Lord, 2009 (tried to calculate the stardate, but it's all meaningless nonsense. Sorry, Trekkers), I was crazy about the new cast and couldn't wait to see where the future would take the reboot crew. Fortunately it took… Continue reading Star Trek: The Borg are Back in Town
I decided to do this listicle as a personal challenge to myself. Full disclosure, Rob Zombie has become a bit much and his films have essentially jumped the sharknado. House of 1000 Corpses and Devil's Rejects gave us a taste of something new and interesting--a modern take on the B-Horror flick. But now that the genre has… Continue reading 31 Reasons to See Rob Zombie’s 31
With Freddy and Jason in Hell, Ghost Face waiting for the turn of the century to make rich Californians “Scream” again, Candyman banished to behind the mirror and Michael Myers without a head, the summer of 1999 would end the decade without a gory drop of blood being shed -- thanks to The Blair Witch… Continue reading A Missed Opportunity to Make the Blair Witch Great Again
The first time you heard about the movie Sausage Party you probably thought to yourself, “WTF”, which is incredibly accurate. The first time you saw the trailer you probably said to yourself, “WTF” and “I think I want to see this”. I have seen Sausage Party, and let me tell you this, it’s the hilarious… Continue reading Bath Salts & Hot Dogs: Sausage Party Review
That guy who is known for portraying Harry Potter is going to star as an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates white supremacist groups in order to prevent a terrorist attack!?! Sign me up! After watching a few interviews with Daniel Radcliffe explaining that the dialogue was so harsh he had to apologize to his fellow… Continue reading Harry Potter and the Grand Wizarding World of White Supremacy
The Dirt Bike Kid strikes again / What to do in the event of an awkward interaction with a Bear / The Manayunk Bike Race is coming / New construction in the neighborhood / Are you from the neighborhood? / Non-human employees at the Wendy's / The Fight for Fifteen / We're making a movie!… Continue reading Rox Trash Radio, Ep. 7: The Bar Room Brawl for Fifteen
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST EPISODE HERE!! or on iTUNES and STITCHER RADIO St. Valentine's Day kicks off with an intense cold snap but Deadpool is like a pleasant glowing fire / Kanye West has created his own reality / Beyonce is in the Illuminati and the Black Panthers / Ronald McDonald's revisionist history and literature / Wild Star Wars rumors… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 184: Sisterhood of the Traveling Squatty Potty
Special guest, Kate Lillo drops by to discuss the latest Comic Con trailers, Garbage People, and dick splits. We take a wonderful journey to Cutlery Corner, and reflect on the highs and lows of cultural appropriation, boycotting Bravo, being a garbage person, and the Chinese. Have fun with this one! It's a doozy! DOWNLOAD THE… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 155: Appropriating Garbage People
Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller Writers: Frank Miller Studios: Dimension Films, Troublemaker Studios, Aldamisa Entertainment, Miramax Entertainment, Demarest Films, Solipsist Films Cast: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Jaime King, Christopher Lloyd, Jamie Chung, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Meloni, Juno Temple Release Date… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy has been out for almost a full week, and that means it has been plenty of time to launch a spoilercast full of all of our favorite bits from the film. Honestly, there's no way this movie could possibly be "ruined" for you by anything we say, so have fun,… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 106: Covering the Galaxy with Nicole Sbaffoni
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”
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’
In addition to video game updates, we discuss the practicality of a female-driven superhero movie, news from NASA, and the inevitable destruction of the World Cup. We play TV Movie Mania and speculate on the end of Game of Thrones! DOWNLOAD THE LATEST EPISODE HERE or on STITCHER RADIO or iTUNES!
Game of Thrones is coming to a close and it seems Justin Bieber's career is as well. We play the TV Guide Movie Game, Apple's new iOS, and the latest gossip out of Star Wars Episode VII. Also, a very special #YesWeCanSaySo version of Jose-Can-Say-So!! Don't miss it! DOWNLOAD THE LATEST EPISODE HERE or on… Continue reading Talking Nerdy Episode 97: Gutten-Free Fry Daddy
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: 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”
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
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’
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”
“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”
“A Good Day to Die Hard” is the worst of the “Die Hard” movies, not because of its restrictive 12A rating, nor its over-reliance on computer-generated effects, but because it is the first instalment in the 25-year franchise to treat its audience with open contempt — here is the “Die Hard" for the “Transformers" crowd,… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “A Good Day to Die Hard”
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’
“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”
“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
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”
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”
Just watched The X-Files movie on demand. I think this photoset captures my nostalgic giddiness thoroughly. Thanks, OP.(Source: http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles/56546/projects/167384/565461231621330.jpg)
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’
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’
“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’
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”
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
“The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” is a master class in visual extravagance which should be attended by any filmmaker intending to create a spectacle; they may learn something. Teaching this master class are legendary director Steven Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, Spielberg’s photographing partner since 1993’s “Schindler’s List.” Together, they create… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Adventures of TinTin”
“Real Steel” is a boxing movie that focuses more on the trainer than it does on the boxer; think “Rocky” focusing on cranky ol’ Mickey rather than the eponymous Italian Stallion. Now, that may sound a bit crap, but with “Real Steel” it’s a plus, given that the boxer is a hunk of junk that… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Real Steel”
My last review was of Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” a film which, as you may have guessed from the title, was set in the beautiful city of Paris. Paul W.S. Anderson’s “The Three Musketeers” is also set in Paris, though this time it’s 18th Century Paris; y’know, that time in history when Frenchmen and… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Three Musketeers”
from FarDarrigTrailers. This trailer for the 2012 film Chronicle surfaced on the Internets this week, and I am stoked. This film looks incredible. The description of "three boys gain super powers and eventually discover the dark side," seems kind of played out, but the effects, the cinematography, everything looks pretty fucking spot-on. I'll be shocked… Continue reading Must See in 2012 (of the Moment)
DRIVE If you go into “Drive” expecting adrenaline-fuelled action, you will come out satisfied. If you go into “Drive” expecting hard-hitting drama, you will come out satisfied. If you go into “Drive” expecting heart-warming romance, you will come out satisfied. If you go into “Drive” expecting explicit violence, you will come out satisfied. If you… Continue reading Watson Reviews DRIVE, ABDUCTION, and JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN
“Warrior” is the surprise tear-jerker of the year. Why such a surprise? For one, it’s called “Warrior,” which gives the immediate impression of heroic, muscle-bound manliness. Secondly, its story centres around mixed martial arts, a sport in which beefy men willingly take part in beating one another to a misshapen pulp, which of course brings… Continue reading Watson’s Reviews of Warrior and Killer Elite
“The Troll Hunter” is a movie that tries to convince us that it’s real, but knows that we won’t believe it. It starts and ends with statements that all of the footage in between is 100% genuine and has not been tampered with. However, all of the footage in between is fantastical and silly, and… Continue reading Watson’s DVD Review of The Troll Hunter
from FunnyorDie. Actor Don Cheadle surprises everyone as Captain Planet in this hilarious video short. I don't want to say too much about it, but it is one of the funniest things I've seen lately. Check it out...or I'll turn you into a fucking tree.
“Fright Night” is a rare example of a remake that surpasses its original; it joins the ranks of recent examples such as Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and Matt Reeves’ “Let Me In,” though of course their superiority to their originals is just my opinion. The original “Fright Night,” which was written and directed by Tom… Continue reading Watson Reviews Fright Night
The star of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is Andy Serkis, an actor who appears in the film solely through the use of motion-capture technology. He plays Caesar, a chimp who is presented to us entirely through computer-generated imagery inserted into a real-life environment. Serkis, who previously provided the movements of towering ape… Continue reading Watson Reviews Rise of the Planet of the Apes
It was only yesterday that I watched and reviewed Studio Ghibli's beautiful "Arrietty," an animated fantasy family film revolving around pint-sized heroes as they come into contact with human beings. And now here's my review of another animated fantasy family film revolving around pint-sized heroes as they come into contact with human beings, only this… Continue reading Watson Reviews The Smurfs
“Horrible Bosses” caters to the morbid fantasies of abused employees: the thought that your employer can simply disappear with the pulling of a trigger or the slicing and dicing of a kitchen knife. Bosses can make your life a living Hell, and one can easily dream of a life in which your boss ceases to… Continue reading I Love Movies, But I Hate Yours: Horrible Bosses
Originality can be a rarity within the sparkly streets of Tinseltown, its cinematic offerings tending to consist of remakes, reboots, copycats and sequels which consistently dominate the worldwide box office. Just this week, Hollywood is presenting the US with Will Gluck's "Friends with Benefits," a rom-com about two long-time pals who decide to have casual… Continue reading Seeing Double: Top Ten Movie Clones Released Cheek-to-Cheek
"CARS 2" The problem with "Cars 2" is that it's produced by Pixar, a film studio that is automatically preceded by a reputation for producing groundbreaking masterpiece after groundbreaking masterpiece. Ever since it made its first full-length feature in 1995, the animation company has been responsible for some of the most highly regarded movies of… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: Cars 2, Transformers 3, and Bad Teacher
GREEN LANTERN I think we’ve all been waiting for a “Green Lantern” movie for friggin’ yonks, haven’t we? I mean, we’ve watched together as all the other comic book superheroes received the summer blockbuster treatment over the past few years, and “Green Lantern” will have been top of the list for everyone, yes? Because everyone… Continue reading I Love Movies, But I Hate Yours: Green Lantern, Bridesmaids, and The Beaver
After eleven short years and five cash-guzzling hit movies, the timeline of the "X-Men" franchise is well and truly knackered. Questionable continuity issues run amuck throughout the series started by director Bryan Singer as it tries to juggle a boatload of characters taken from the Marvel source material, sometimes clumsily dropping them and not knowing… Continue reading I Love Movies, But I Hate Yours: X-Men First Class
The Hangover Part II In a predictable world, Todd Phillips' "The Hangover Part II" would be utterly dreadful. After all, it is an over-marketed sequel to one of 2009's biggest box-office smashes, an R-rated comedy which was essentially a much better orchestrated copycat of 2000's "Dude, Where's My Car?" set in Sin City, aka Las… Continue reading I Love Movies, But I Hate Yours: The Hangover II and Kung Fu Panda 2
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise is like an increasingly annoying friend who's come over to your house one night for dinner. While at first charming and entertaining, the friend telling you some wonderful stories, he has a little too much wine to drink, causing him to become a bit unstable and loud, banging his… Continue reading I Love Movies, But I Hate Yours: Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides
Once again distancing himself from his vampiric role in the cash-guzzling "Twilight" franchise, English heart-throb Robert Pattinson is taking another dip into the un-supernatural romantic drama section. Last year saw him falling for a daughter of a detective in Allen Coulter's amiable "Remember Me," and now this year he's falling for the wife of a… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: Water for Elephants
Kicking off 2011’s summer of big-budget blockbusters is superhero flick "Thor," probably one of the most challenging stories for Marvel Studios to adapt onto the silver screen from the pages of a comic book. This is not necessarily because of the arguably second-rate awareness of the eponymous character himself, but because creating "Thor" requires one… Continue reading I Love Movies, But I Hate Yours: Thor
God bless Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. With their glorious "Grindhouse" double-feature of 2007, they popularised and reinvented a long-slumbering genre, namely the grungy exploitation aspect of cinema that reigned free in the '60s and '70s. Since then, we've received "Machete," "Piranha 3D" and "Drive Angry 3D," all deliriously amusing slices of crazily over-the-top violence.… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: Hobo with a Shotgun
Due Date is a film that sits on the shoulders of its two leading men. Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis don't take turns in carrying the movie, but instead do it together as a team that's befitting while also being mismatched. Each at the top of their game, the two acclaimed actors commendably backpack… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: Due Date
I'm not at all surprised by Mark Zuckerberg's decision to remain distant from the David Fincher-directed biopic The Social Network. The film paints the Facebook creator in such a way that he comes across as a not very approachable individual, his inflated ego and nerdy arrogance almost as large as his fast-thinking brain. He's a… Continue reading The Social Network
When I wasn't listening to the endlessly isolated ticks and tocks from the hands of my watch during my viewing of Resident Evil: Afterlife, I was working out how long the film really would have been if it weren't for all the slow-motion. Given that each action set-piece is engorged in the bullet-time effect -… Continue reading Resident Evil: Afterlife
I mentioned in my review of the dismal Catherine Zeta-Jones feature The Rebound that honorable romantic comedies have been few and far between in recent times. With repetitious romance and corny comedy, they desperately need a bit of an, ermm, switch, shall we say? And while rom-com The Switch contains more drama than you'd think… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: The Switch
In the sublimely cultural and highly kinetic universe of John Chu's Step Up 3D, people like dancing. As in, they really, really love it. It's set in a world where it seems that busting a move and winning break dance battles is practically the most important thing to every human being on the planet, living… Continue reading Step Up 3D
Ugh, remember Cop Out? I wish I didn't. That bore-fest of a parody flick has unquestionably painted a big black stain on Kevin Smith's career and will make its victims quiver in fear whenever its title is mentioned to them. It was an appallingly unfunny comedy intended as an homage to the well-known buddy cop… Continue reading The Other Guys
Bill Murray once compared the end of the world at the hands of an evil god to cats and dogs living together. "Mass hysteria," he said in 1984's comedy classic Ghostbusters. Turns out this silly comparison may be appropriate, as in Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, the two usually feuding furry animals… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Who loves Toy Story? Actually, who doesn't love Toy Story? Adored by kids, adults and critics alike, the series is truly a tour de force in filmmaking history. The original, being the first feature to come out of the legendary Pixar Animation Studios, revolutionised the way animated films were made, and the sequel demonstrated that… Continue reading A Late Review: Toy Story 3
When you're a screenwriter with a filmography containing such naff films as Equilibrium, Ultraviolet and Law Abiding Citizen, I wouldn't really put much credit to your name. The first is dull, the second is unforgivably terrible and the third is unrightfully smug. The only half-decent film Kurt Wimmer has scribed is 2003's The Recruit, yet… Continue reading I Love Movies, but I Hate Yours: Salt
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