By: Addison Wylie Mama is another horror film “presented by” creep master Guillermo del Toro. So, it’s no surprise that Andrés Muschietti’s new year horror, Mama, resembles 2011’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, another film that was “presented” by del Toro. That’s going to be either a deal maker or breaker to those who saw the Katie Holmes driven flick about small, scary creatures that occupy a looming and ominous house. As someone who…
By Addison Wylie As far as sub-standard horror goes, Texas Chainsaw 3D is as by-the-numbers as scary movies go; if you skim the surface. However, I think John Luessenhop’s film is smarter than it looks and deserves more credit than it’s throwaway January release date gives it. Texas Chainsaw 3D takes us to the beginning of the long-running story; except this time, it wishes to wipe the slate clean. This sequel to the original Texas…
By: Addison Wylie The Impossible feels like a little-film-that-could because of its late release date. Which is funny because the film itself miraculously captures the intensity and the devastating outcomes of a cataclysmic tsunami – which is something big budget blockbusters long to do. J.A. Bayona’s The Impossible is a fantastic film with harrowing performances by Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts (who has earned a well deserved Oscar nomination for her role) as well as the…
By: Addison Wylie 2012 was Disney’s year to prove to audiences that 3D conversions aren’t all that bad. That said, the year started with the terribly converted Beauty and the Beast, but then moviegoers were treated to a flawless conversion of Disney/Pixar’s classic Finding Nemo. Now, we find ourselves at the theatre to witness the last of Disney’s 3D offerings of 2012 – a modest and highly enjoyable converted Monsters Inc. Monsters Inc. 3D and…
By: Addison Wylie With his first feature film, director Colin Trevorrow (with the help of screenwriter Derek Connolly) has conjured up this gem that pokes fun at, while still embracing adolescence and growing up. It all starts with our lead female played by character actor Aubrey Plaza – who has always had a certain quality to her presence and to her line-reading that can be summed up in one word: pubescent. In Safety Not Guaranteed,…
By: Addison Wylie Tom Hooper wowed audiences with The King’s Speech. Well, most audiences – I thought it was inspirational but ordinary, with stylistic cinematography that overshadowed many elements of the story. Nonetheless, his film won multiple Oscars; including Best Picture. He may follow suit with his adaptation of Les Misérables; in both the award garnering sense and the cinematography sense. Hooper has brought his shooting style to his latest feature following Jean Valjean (played…
By: Addison Wylie I would love to see what writer/director Judd Apatow could do with a film that punches out after 90 minutes – including credits. This Is 40 starts out strong and funny, but is then torpedoed by needless subplots that are tediously stretched out causing the runtime to slowly expand. Apatow has shown with his previous directorial work that he loves to let his material breathe. Not in a pretentious way, but in…
By: Addison Wylie What makes the romance and the chemistry click between Pat Solitano (played by Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany Maxwell (played by Jennifer Lawrence) in David O. Russell’s impressive Silver Linings Playbook is that both off-kilter characters understand the hardest part of a relationship – knowing how to push the others’ buttons. Maybe it’s because both New Jerseyans live with similar bipolar disorders and the two troublemakers can connect on a familiar level. But,…
By: Addison Wylie The Apparition is one of the worst reviewed films of 2012. It currently resides at a whopping 4% on Rotten Tomatoes and has received plenty of negative word-of-mouth. However, I’m here to defend it – kind of. As a whole, it isn’t good in the slightest and it plods along at a snail’s pace until it exhaustively reaches the finish line at 78 minutes (excluding the credits filled with random spooky filler)….
By: Addison Wylie Dwayne Johnson continues his streak of children’s movies with his starring role in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, a sequel to the surprise hit starring Brendan Fraser. It’s still slightly puzzling to see Johnson, a hulking ex-wrestler, in these simpler vehicles aimed towards young ones. Perhaps, he’s making these for a niece or a nephew. Maybe, it’s an easy paycheque. Out of the children’s movies I’ve seen starring the former “Rock”, Journey…