Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Acceptable Spider-Man. The Adequate Spider-Man. Both of these would have been more apt titles for The Amazing Spider-Man, a film that for the most part works just fine, but ultimately shares too many plot points with Sam Raimi's original film to really stand out. There are a lot of aspects (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb gets right here, and a few that fall squarely into superhero movie mediocrity. Is it a good Spider-Man movie? Absolutely. But is it a truly great superhero film? Not quite.

The Amazing Spider-Man
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans

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Posted by Ben Pearson at 11:10 PM Links to this post

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Ted

It's obvious from the first few minutes that Ted comes from the mind of "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. This isn't only because he imbues the foul-mouthed titular teddy bear with the same voice as Peter Griffin, but also because MacFarlane's use of random references follows him from the animated series into the live-action world here. If you haven't seen Flash Gordon, much of the comedy will be lost on you, and there's even a "Family Guy" style flashback in which John (Mark Wahlberg) and Lori (Mila Kunis) each remember the way that they met, with Lori recalling a dance-challenged John bumping into her, but John remembering a full-on recreation of  from Airplane! MacFarlane isn't interested in doing an exhaustive pop culture parody, but he does take comedic inspiration from guys like Mel Brooks and David Zucker and applies those inspirations to a story all his own about a young boy who makes a magic wish for his teddy bear to come to life. The result is a summer comedy that falls prey to many traps of the genre, but does so in a pretty entertaining way.

Ted
Co-writer/Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

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Posted by Ben Pearson at 6:24 PM Links to this post

Monday, June 25, 2012

People Like Us

Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are some of the most influential people in Hollywood, having made names for themselves writing shows like "Alias" and "Fringe" and writing and producing big-budget blockbusters like Transformers, Star Trek, and Cowboys & Aliens. But People Like Us, Kurtzman's directorial debut, is a much more reserved film than those previous credits would indicate. It's a surprisingly dramatic film about sacrifice, humility, and family, and it provides an excellent alternative to the high concept plots of many of today's romantic comedies.

People Like Us
Co-writer/Director: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Hall D'Addario, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Pfeiffer

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Posted by Ben Pearson at 12:00 AM Links to this post

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The NJNM Podcast: Ep. 94 - Presumed Innocent


 In this week's episode, Ben and Tyler discuss Alan J. Pakula's 1990 film, Presumed Innocent.



Introduction
Character Name Game Intro - 1:51

Media Consumed
Tyler
Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter - 2:25
Dracula 2000 - 6:12
Ben
Newsies - 10:10
Snabba Cash (aka Easy Money) - 14:07

Review
Presumed Innocent - 19:00
Wrap-Up
Next Time: Paper Moon  - 50:25
Listener E-mail/Voicemail/Twitter - 51:15
Character Name Game - 55:25
Posted by Ben Pearson at 9:44 PM Links to this post

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter goes from utterly preposterous to dead series (and back) faster than our 16th President could decapitate a bloodsucker. What, you didn't know that one of America's most revered leaders battled the undead before and during his tenure in office? The concept feels as if it emerged from a Mad Libs session gone haywire, and the film itself weirdly treads a line of being self-aware (how can it not be with a title like that) and playing things a bit too straight for its own good, at times losing its narrative momentum when it should be pumping adrenaline instead of going for quiet drama. But as a fan of ridiculous movies, I can't think of a more ludicrous film I've seen this year; this is a period piece from the director of Wanted, and it totally lives up to that description and all the insanity it implies.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Director: Timur Bekmambetov Starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Rufus Sewell, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead


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Posted by Ben Pearson at 6:30 PM Links to this post

Sunday, June 17, 2012

The NJNM Podcast: Ep. 93 - Tucker & Dale vs. Evil


 In this week's episode, Ben and Tyler discuss Eli Craig's 2010 film, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.



Introduction
Character Name Game Intro - 3:19

Media Consumed
Tyler
Gentlemen Broncos - 5:30
"Life's Too Short" - 10:20
Ben
 - 12:55
Rounders - 15:18
All Dogs Go To Heaven - 20:20

Review
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil - 28:08
Wrap-Up
Next Time:  Presumed Innocent  - 52:33
Listener E-mail/Voicemail/Twitter - 53:15
Character Name Game - 54:43
Where You Can Find Us - 56:27

 Character Name Game Video: 
Posted by Ben Pearson at 10:06 PM Links to this post

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Brave

The pervasive sentiment among critics so far is that Brave feels more like a Disney movie than a Pixar movie, but that doesn't take away from this film's achievements. I've never seen an animated Disney film pull off a mother-daughter relationship half as satisfying as this one, and while the plot may stumble across some rote and familiar territory here and there, it's still an immensely satisfying story that gives ample reasons to care about its characters. Brave not only has a beautiful setting and gorgeous animation, it's also an empowering tale that encourages you to live by the old Terminator 2 mantra, "there's no fate but what we make."

Brave
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell
Starring: Kelly Mcdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Craig Ferguson


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Posted by Ben Pearson at 11:40 PM Links to this post

Friday, June 15, 2012

Rock of Ages

I'm a fan of 80s hair metal. I have nearly every one of the songs from this film's soundtrack in my iTunes (performed by its original artist, of course). I'm also a Tom Cruise fan, and I'm not completely opposed to musicals. So it's safe to say I fit pretty nicely into the demographic for Rock of Ages. But can the director of Hairspray successfully pull together an all-star cast and turn this Broadway musical into an entertaining film?

Rock of Ages
Director: Adam Shankman
Starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Tom Cruise


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Posted by Ben Pearson at 10:35 AM Links to this post

Thursday, June 14, 2012

To Rome With Love (L.A. Film Fest '12)

I've never considered myself a fan of Woody Allen, which is likely a result of not having seen many of his early works. I respect Annie Hall much more than I like it, and that's embarrassingly the only pre-2000s film of his I've seen. But after watching and enjoying Match Point, Scoop, Cassandra's Dream, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight in Paris, and now To Rome With Love, I think I've slowly but surely become a Woody Allen fan.

To Rome With Love
Writer/Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Penelope Cruz

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Posted by Ben Pearson at 11:24 PM Links to this post

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The NJNM Podcast: Ep. 92 - Heathers (Guest: Kate Erbland from Film School Rejects)


 In this week's episode, Tyler and Ben are joined by Kate Erbland (from Film School Rejects) to discuss Michael Lehmann's 1988 film, Heathers.


Introduction
Character Name Game Intro - 2:32

Media Consumed
Tyler
Friday the 13th Part 3 - 3:00
"Veep" - 5:58

 Kate
"Breaking Bad" - 7:54
Damsels in Distress - 9:48
Take This Waltz - 11:38
Your Sister's Sister - 15:05
Ben
The Descendants - 16:57
Rowdy Rathore - 19:32
Elite Squad - 23:12
The Cable Guy - 25:21
Safety Not Guaranteed - 27:55

Review
Heathers - 31:25
Wrap-Up
Next Time: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints - 1:04:48
Listener E-mail/Voicemail/Twitter - 1:06:00
Character Name Game - 1:06:44
Where You Can Find Us - 1:09:10
Posted by Ben Pearson at 8:40 PM Links to this post

Sunday, June 3, 2012

The NJNM Podcast: Ep. 91 - Hellraiser


 In this week's episode, Tyler and Ben discuss Clive Barker's 1987 film, Hellraiser.



Introduction
Character Name Game Intro - 1:35

Media Consumed
Tyler
The Dictator - 2:00
"The Ricky Gervais Show" - 3:55
Ben
Alien - 5:45
"Sherlock" Season/Series 2 - 10:20

Review
Hellraiser - 12:50
Wrap-Up
Next Time: Heathers - 51:38
Listener E-mail/Voicemail/Twitter - 52:36
Character Name Game - 1:00:39
Where You Can Find Us - 1:04:30
Posted by Ben Pearson at 5:40 PM Links to this post

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Prometheus

Ridley Scott returns to his sci-fi roots with Prometheus, a beautiful film that is equally impressive in the ideas it evokes as in the visual prowess it displays. Ostensibly a prequel to Alien, this film works surprisingly well as a standalone story. There are clear nods to Scott's earlier iconic franchise, but ultimately this is a dazzling, gorgeous movie that aims high and lands as one of the best of the year.


 Prometheus
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Logan Marshall-Green


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Posted by Ben Pearson at 10:36 AM Links to this post
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