REVIEW: Carnival of Souls [1962]

“I don’t belong in the world” **SPOILERS** This little gem from 1962 has been on my to see list for years. I’ve eyed the Criterion Collection version, almost buying it a couple of times, until finally looking away until I knew for sure it was worth purchasing. I can safely say that Carnival of Souls is well deserving of the Criterion treatment and soon a place in my film catalog. Director Herk Harvey has put together a real work of art and amazingly it was to be his only non-documentary/educational…

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REVIEW: Beerfest [2006]

“The greatest beer in all ze world” The Broken Lizard comedy troupe are a definite example of you either love their brand of adolescent schtick or you revile it completely. Their fourth feature length film, I discount Dukes of Hazard because it didn’t star them or start in development by them, is no different than its predecessors. Being a steadfast fan of Super Troopers, begrudgingly having to be told to see it numerous times before my filmsnob judgment was assuaged, and a supporter of their inferior, but effective genre film…

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REVIEW: Junebug [2005]

“I just wanted something good to come out of all this” Junebug was one of those films that came out of the 2005 festival circuit with buzz galore. Unfortunately I never got to see it until randomly passing it by on Starz-On-Demand, in widescreen no less. This was a temptation that wouldn’t be quelled and so I sat down with high expectations. The movie not only lived up to those, but exceeded them as well. You don’t get character pieces as well acted and written as Junebug often. Every performance…

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REVIEW: Little Miss Sunshine [2006]

“A little sweet sweetness” Keeping up with the recent buzz-worthy films coming out of Sundance the past couple years, Little Miss Sunshine is a gem of a movie. After loving crowd favorites Primer (2004) and Hustle and Flow (2005), I wasn’t quite sure if the hat trick would be made. Sunshine seemed to have the cast, and direction (the debut of husband/wife team Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, who have helmed some of my favorite music videos including the Smashing Pumpkins’ Tonight, Tonight and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Otherside),…

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REVIEW: The Descent [2005]

“Love every day” I am not a big fan of the horror genre. Many of them are just too campy or schlocky to be terrifying, too derivative of each other, or too slow and drawn out while trying to be suspenseful. Besides the first two masterpieces of the Hellraiser series and the original, read only good, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I could do without the genre completely. I don’t mention Hostel here, because as I’ve said in my review for that film, it isn’t as much a horror as a thriller…

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REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird [1962]

“Stand up, your father’s passing” While enjoying many novels that I read during my stint in the public school system, Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird was always one of the most memorable. The story was beautifully told and showed a great example of moral fiber. Atticus Finch is the epitome of class and trust. He sees past age, race, intelligence and instead views the soul. After watching this film you might start believing that people really are inherently good. Perusing through the list of films that director Robert…

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REVIEW: Sisters [1973]

“There is no body because there was no murder” Many people out there seem to have some sort of indifference when it comes to the subject of director Brian De Palma. I’m not quite sure what it is, but I have enjoyed every film I’ve seen by him. In anticipation of his new The Black Dahlia, I decided to revisit one of his earlier films, Sisters. I hadn’t seen it in over five years or so, but always remembered finding it intellectually disturbing and containing one of the most surreal,…

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REVIEW: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby [2006]

“Shake and Bake” If Talladega Nights did anything for me, it confirmed my previous bias that racecar driving is boring to watch. While filled with some great, random one-liners, and some really good performances, Ricky Bobby’s ballad crawls along at a sluggish pace. What’s weird about this outlook is that the slowest talking character, played hilariously by Sacha Baron Cohen, was actually a part that moved the scenes forward. It was flashy, fast-talking, yet ultimately uninteresting. I will admit to not being much of a Will Ferrell fan. I find…

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REVIEW: Out of Sight [1998]

“Do you ever wear one that says ‘undercover’?” If Out of Sight is any indication, I really need to watch more Steven Soderbergh films. This movie is great on many levels. I’ve seen and loved Traffic, The Limey is top-notch, and the Ocean’s movies are enjoyable at times, however I never really jumped on the bandwagon. Maybe it was the boring, mediocre Erin Brochovich, or the fact that he left his indie roots to kick it with the big boys, I always pushed Soderbergh to the side, saying I’d get…

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