Category Archives: Long Reviews (>400 Words)

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Indie Films, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Hits (2015) Movie Review

“Get ready to laugh more than three times, but less than 10,” comedian David Cross says in the pay-what-you-want intro to his directorial debut Hits, warning the audience that what they are about to see is a dark comedy and, as such, not a laugh riot. This is a humble opinion of the film. Dark as it is, there are plenty of opportunities for deep belly laughs.

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The film, which Cross wrote and directed, follows a hapless dump worker Dave Stuben (Matt Walsh) and his daughter Katelyn (Meredith Hagner), who is determined to Continue reading Hits (2015) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Horror, Indie Films, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead (2014) Movie Review

 

CAUTION: Spoilers of the original film’s ending are present in this review.

 

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Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead is the sequel to the 2009 splatter horror film Dead Snow by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola. The beginning of this sequel recaps the events of its predecessor: a group of friends travel to a cabin in the Norwegian mountains and are, one-by-one, mutilated by Nazi zombies hell-bent on Continue reading Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead (2014) Movie Review →

Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Television Reviews, TV Comedy, TV Drama

Better Call Saul Premiere (2015) Television Review

The black and white cold open to AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff shows Bob Odenkirk’s seedy lawyer Saul Goodman sadly working the Cinnabon counter in a mall, sporting large glasses and a mean ‘stache. Saul is on edge, paranoid about an intimidating person in the store. At his home, he drinks scotch and anxiously looks out the window. Saul pulls out an old VHS tape and pops it in to the television. The tape is a series of ad spots from his old profession. He watches the tape glumly until it cuts away to the title card. And that’s it. The first scene Breaking Bad fans get after a year of withdrawal from the mythos they fell in love with. It is simple but all too gratifying.

Continue reading Better Call Saul Premiere (2015) Television Review →

All Movie Reviews, Horror, Indie Films, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

V/H/S: Viral (2014) Movie Review

V/H/S: Viral is the third installment in the popular cult anthology horror franchise. V/H/S was a highly-original breath of fresh air to the done-to-death found footage horror subgenre. It may be one of the best indie horror gems of the 21st century. V/H/S 2 was similarly fun to watch, but was ultimately a digression from the previous film. It was a safe sequel that wasn’t trying to go above and beyond what it accomplished with the previous film.

 

This new sequel is somewhat similar to the first two installments, where a series of short subjects are shown interspersed with an ongoing second plotline. Only, where the original two films had Continue reading V/H/S: Viral (2014) Movie Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Drama, Indie Films, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

The Guest (2014) Movie Review

The Guest is a film by director Adam Wingard. In it, a man named David (Dan Stevens) approaches a family claiming to be a close friend of the family’s eldest son, who died in Afghanistan during the war. The stoic, smooth-talking David says that he has just been discharged from the military, and Continue reading The Guest (2014) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Inherent Vice (2014) Movie Review

Inherent Vice is the latest from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon. Pynchon’s work is often characterized by its density and difficulty. As such, some said Vice could not be successfully adapted for the screen.

Continue reading Inherent Vice (2014) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Documentary, Indie Films, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? (2013) Movie Review

Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? is a film by Michel Gondry (writer, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) in which he interviews famed linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky. During the interview, hand drawn animations created by Gondry depict Chomsky’s answers. Every so often, a small frame, inset in the animation, will show Chomsky as he is speaking. Their conversation delves into various alleyways, namely his philosophy on language and how we understand the concepts of the world through words and symbols.

Continue reading Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? (2013) Movie Review →

Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It, Television Reviews, TV Comedy

The Spoils of Babylon (2014) Miniseries Review

The Spoils of Babylon is an epic miniseries crafted by genius multi-hyphenate Eric Jonrosh. It tells the profound story of Devon Morehouse (Tobey Maguire) as he stumbles through the trials of war, corrupt big business, drug use, and love.

Well…not really. Continue reading The Spoils of Babylon (2014) Miniseries Review →

Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Drama, Indie Films, Leave it, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

The Rover (2014) Movie Review

The Rover is a film from Australian director David Michod (Animal Kingdom, writer: Hesher). Ten years after a worldwide collapse of civilization, the Australian outback is a dystopian landscape dominated by crime and poverty. Following a botched robbery, three thieves (Scoot McNairy, David Field, and Tawanda Manyimo) crash their car Continue reading The Rover (2014) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Indie Films, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It

Whiplash (2014) Movie Review

Damien Chazelle’s jazz drama (who would’ve thought those two words would ever be put together?) stars Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. It centers on jazz drummer Andrew (Teller). Andrew studies at Shaffer Conservatory and aspires to be one of the greatest drummers of all time. One day, Andrew is confronted in a practice room by intimidating Conductor Terrence Fletcher Continue reading Whiplash (2014) Movie Review →