By: Addison Wylie While it’s not a horror, the scariest aspect of The Purge is how seriously the concept is taken. James DeMonaco issues a smart move and doesn’t make the idea of a 12-hour violent free-for-all campy by any means. He plays his role as writer/director with a straight face and watches that his thriller and its screenplay keeps its realism but doesn’t come off as oppressive or stuffy. This warped way of communal…
By: Addison Wylie The fine people at Disney usually have a good handle on their films, which is why the occasional slip-up- like Planes or last year’s Cars 2 makes me more sad of its existence than angry at how bad it is. Planes, an animated film taking place in the Cars universe, plays like an undemanding direct-to-DVD time filler. It’s funny that Planes comes out on DVD/Blu-ray a week after Blockbuster announced their final closings…
By: Addison Wylie Films like Short Term 12 are sometimes the toughest movies to write about. They make elaborate blockbusters like Inception look like a peanut. It’s just so easy to say Short Term 12 is great, recommend it profusely, and move on. Destin Daniel Cretton’s film is about a foster care supervisor who is having difficulties expressing herself. She keeps emotions sealed tight and lets her empathy feel for her. Instead of declaring Cretton’s…
By: Addison Wylie I get worried when I feel emotionless at the end of a movie like The Broken Circle Breakdown. Felix Van Groeningen’s drama didn’t make me feel depressed to a point of numbness. In fact, he wants his audience to feel high levels of emotion more than anything. The film offers a lot to smile and cry about with its themes of love and loss, and a lot to tap your toes to…
By: Addison Wylie If you thought the big screen world of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs couldn’t get any stranger, you obviously haven’t visited a world full of live, hybrid leftovers. Directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn (the latter having some involvement with the film’s predecessor) are fully aware as to how Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs won audiences over with its wild visuals and bizarre sense of humour. That’s why there’s even…
By: Addison Wylie There’s no other way to put it: Epic is uninteresting. It’s attractive, but very dry. Almost everything about it amounts to a sigh as the audience waits for Chris Wedge’s animation to go through the usual family friendly motions. I didn’t find the film’s eco-friendly message to be clamouring, but its ability to tell an inventive story is seriously lacking. Especially when the film is visually brimming with imagination. James V. Hart,…
By: Addison Wylie It’s more than likely Peeples has a script that was generated from ideas thought by a living being and then written with human hands. But, try convincing yourself of that as you watch Tina Gordon Chism’s comedy. It’s impossible. The screenplay – written by Chism – is more of a systematic sitcom template structured like an edition of Mad Libs. Audiences can see each set-up, misunderstanding, and the results the mishaps create…
By: Addison Wylie I’m divided on the latest re-release of The Wizard of Oz. I’m not dramatically “on the fence”. I would lean towards a hearty recommendation in an instant. But, it has me feeling many different things. On one hand, I’m very grateful this film is getting another run in select theatres. As someone who has never seen The Wizard of Oz (I know, I know…), I’m pleased myself and other newbies get a…
By: Addison Wylie If you told me Parker was directed by someone who has directed more than one movie, I’d be fairly skeptical. If you told me that Parker was directed by an Oscar winner, I would seriously question the accuracy behind that statement about a film that plays its cards as vapidly as possible. But, regrettably, it’s a fact. The latest action caper featuring Jason Statham is not only directed by someone who has…
By: Addison Wylie Considering the talent involved, it’s hard to believe everyone agreed to star in a film this goofy and shallow. Especially, by actors like Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, and Josh Brolin who have recently been very selective about their work. Gangster Squad appears to have done its homework considering its 1940’s backdrop. Its attractive period style, make-up and costuming convince us the film will have more weight to it since more effort is…