The Buzz: movie reviews

There has been quite a buzz about this film, Crash. One of the overarching critiques of this film is that it is a "love it or hate it" film. I have been reading and absorbing every critical review of this film I can get my hands on, as I had the opportunity to watch it yesterday, for the first time.I have to admit mixed feelings about this film. One element that no one seems to contend is that the acting is fantastic. Terrance Howard, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Branden Frazer, Ludacris, and others have churned out fantastic performances.The controversey, however, is in writer/director Paul Haggis. This film is ultimately his brainchild, and born of his imagination. I know I didn't grow up in Los Angeles or anything. However, I did live there for a little over a year. I was somewhat surprised to see the resaurant, Carney's, that Matt Dillon's character is in near the beginning of the film. This restaurant was less than a mile from my apartment, and I remember see...

I don't know why I waited so long to see this movie. Being a Cash fan, and knowing that this movie was getting positive critical feedback, it somehow eluded me. So, when I finally saw it, it was more special in a way. I know, this is not a very objective review. But that is in part because I feel personally connected to the subject. The legendary life of J.R. Cash. I sat in the theater alone. As the opening scenes unraveled, something about this movie affected me very, very deeply. It was the struggle of a young "artist", trying to find a place in the world. As Johnny wandered, struggled, and fought to make a living for himself, he encountered some problems that many 20 somethings can relate with. (Paying rent, supporting a family.) Also, there is a great scene where Johnny and his low budget band are auditioning for Sun Records in the fifies. Unimpressed with their rendition of a Gospel tune, the record label owner tells John he must sing something more genuine. Relucta...

This movie is a half-baked, somewhat cheesey drive-in science fiction flick. The characters are two dimensional, the acting is just okay, and some of the one liners are laughably hilarious. On the up side, the special effects are marginally acceptable. By today's standards, they look expensive, but not particularly passionate. The effects don't really take you into the moment. Rather, they distract from the reality the makers were trying to create. The movie spends too much time going through the motions of "setting up" how these characters become the Fantastic 4. And, it spends to much time with pointless conflicts between the heroes. It feels half-hearted and dried up. There is not a genuinely emotional moment in the whole film, other than the laughter I experienced from laughing at how bad it is. Jessica Alba is, I've decided, the new hottest woman in show biz. She's really perfect for the role of "Invisible Girl." I've decided that if she...

Two nights ago I watched Sin City through my Netflix rental. I have to say, I was wary about it because I heard about its violence. I knew there were controversial elements in it. But, I'm here to tell you, Sin City is absolutely incredible. Just imagine the late 90's science fiction thriller Dark City , throw in a twist of Pulp Fiction , add Benicio Del Toro, and you've got Sin City . Despite being somewhat grim, it's still fun. It's fun because the characters are exaggerated graphic novel cartoons. The special effects are top notch. The cast is great. And, my friends, there's the writing. The best element of this film is the writing. Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino really outdid themselves. I can't tell you the last time I saw a film, and I genuinely didn't know what was going to happen next. It really had me on the edge of my seat. I kept looking for predictable cliches, but there are none here. It was a delight being taken to the edge of realit...

This review is a film I recently saw called C.H.U.D. It's a 1980's horror flick of moderate budget. And, in case you're wondering, C.H.U.D. stands for "Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers." Um...yeah. The cast is full of surprising future semi-celebs. Take, for example, John Heard. He is the guy from Home Alone who robs the house. (Not Joe Pesci, the other one.) Then, there's Daniel Stern, and a short appearance by John Goodman. The plot involves a police cheif investigating his wife's disappearance. He discovers some homeless people have also disappeared from around the same section of Manhattan. As he begins to uncover clues, what does he find? You guessed it. Bizarre underground zombies who dwell in the sewers and eat people. The script is completely convoluted. At some point, there is a nuclear government CEO guy who is trying to cover his own butt, because he knows about the underground zombie things. So, he attempts a cover up to keep anyon...