[8] Steven Soderbergh turns the directing reigns over to Gregory Jacobs for this sequel to Magic Mike, but stays involved as director of photography and editor (under pseudonyms). The sequel turns out to be superior because its infinitely more fun and far less didactic and moralizing than its predecessor. The plot is more scant than the men’s on-stage wardrobes, but for a movie like this, …
[7] I think Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Red State) is a much more interesting filmmaker now that he’s making horror films. Tusk is a controversial move for the director — it’s too silly for die-hard horror fans, but too off-putting to be a comedy. Justin Long stars as a podcaster who travels to remote Canada to interview a strange but alluring old sea dog, played …
[6] I never cared much for the Mission Impossible film franchise until Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) took his turn in the director’s chair with the last installment, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. I’m not sure Rogue Nation — the fifth in the series — is better than Ghost Protocol, but it’s pretty solid action entertainment nonetheless. Tom Cruise, bless his insane little heart, is still …
[3] Amy Schumer is an interesting, original, funny person in all her YouTube videos, so when I heard she had written Trainwreck and was starring in it, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, there are only two good scenes in the movie — one is the opening scene, in which Colin Quinn tells his young daughters why he and mommy are getting a divorce, using an analogy …
[5] John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, and Clark Duke star in this Back to the Future parody of sorts, about three men and a nephew who take a nostalgic vacation at an old ski lodge from the men’s youth, where a mystical hot tub transports them back to 1986. Once taken back in time, they struggle to ensure events occur according to history, lest …
[7] Four magicians team up with a wealthy benefactor to basically rob from the rich and give to the poor in enormous productions that garner them more and more celebrity. Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher play the magicians, while Michael Caine plays their sugar-daddy — but it’s Mark Ruffalo who actually stars in Now You See Me, as we experience the …
[8] Anthony Hopkins plays filmdom’s master of suspense in this movie that chronicles the director’s relationship with his wife, Alma, played by none other than Helen Mirren, during the making of Psycho. It should come as no surprise that Hopkins and Mirren are terrific. Hopkins’ best moment comes when Mirren asks him why Psycho is to be the next film, why when Hollywood decries it …
[8] Every spring, I feel jaded when it comes to Hollywood tent pole flicks, and every summer I end up being surprised at how much I enjoy a few of them. Maybe it’s a result of low expectations, or maybe I love monster movies and disaster movies so much, they just have to be pretty shitty before I’ll give ’em the thumbs down. Anyway, I’ll …
[9] Director David O. Russell (The Fighter, Three Kings) sticks with his good luck charm, casting Jennifer Lawrence as the title character in Joy. Russell has said that his film career started to disinterest him several years back, and that he became reinvigorated when he decided to start telling stories about very specific people in very specific places. If you watch The Fighter or Joy, you …
[8] Director Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) brings to life the true-life story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into Southern slavery. Northup endures two different owners and many harrowing experiences before attempting to reach out for help from his friends in the North. McQueen succeeds in making very palpable the fear and danger that comes in …
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