I enjoyed the Spy vs. Spy cartoons in Mad Magazine when I was a kid. It was interesting to see how creative they could be in blowing each other up. I am not sure there was really a purpose or point to the whole thing but it was at least mildly entertaining. Sort of like the new film, THIS...
Safe House
posted by Matt Mungle
SAFE HOUSE is home for this year’s action footage. Everything you want in a pedal down, full speed ahead thriller can be found in this one. Tight edits, breakneck speed car chases, government espionage, spies, and testosterone fueled characters make for one edge of your seat ride. Even the...
The Vow
posted by Matt Mungle
Ok guys, listen up. You have had 51 weeks since last Valentine’s Day to think of something special to do. Yet once again you have waited until the last minute. So here is what I suggest. Buy two tickets to THE VOW, slip them in a pretty card (one that doesn’t play music when you open it),...
Big Miracle
posted by Matt Mungle
I am not sure what I was up to in 1988 that I missed Operation Breakthrough; the effort to free gray whales trapped under the ice in Alaska. I don’t even recall the 1989 book Freeing the Whales by Tom Rose which covered the event. But it will be a long time before I forget the new, heart...
The Grey
posted by Matt Mungle
It feels odd to mention a film about wolves and not have teenagers screaming “Go Team Jacob” in the background. The new adult thriller THE GREY has an abundance of wolves, a survivor premise, and enough edge-of-your-seat moments to make it a decent viewing. But only barely. Many of the...
Albert Nobbs
posted by Matt Mungle
Glenn Close co-wrote the screenplay and stars in the adult drama, ALBERT NOBBS. This film is a touching and beautifully created story with superb acting and fantastic makeup and art design. The cast is perfectly chosen and each delivers just the right amount of substance to add polish to the...
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
posted by Matt Mungle
Movies surrounding the events of 9/11 will always have a depressing undercurrent regardless of the uplifting nature of the story. So is the case with the new drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer and directed by Stephen Daldry; this film has a lot to offer. The issue lies in how well audiences will receive such a heavily emotional film during a season of cheer and glad tidings. There is even the argument that what better time to see a movie like this than during a period of hope and promise. No doubt the cast deliver exceptional performances in what is a pretty solid story. Extremely Loud and...
The Iron Lady
posted by Matt Mungle
Meryl Streep may be the prime minister of actresses, a fact which few can deny, but she is still unable to salvage all the troubles with THE IRON LADY. This film reminded me a lot of the earlier biopic, J. Edgar. Like that flick, the story was there, the acting award worthy; but the film itself was a bit disjointed. The Iron Lady The Weinstein Company The Iron Lady chronicles the life of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep/Alexandra Roach), the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It is meant to convey all of the sacrifices she made and the toll it took on her family life with her rise to power. When we meet Thatcher in the film she is...
Contraband
posted by Matt Mungle
What if I told you there was a new film out about a movie critic who had to get back in the business to help save a family member in trouble with a Hollywood rep? Not very intriguing right? That is why the new movie CONTRABAND uses drug lords and smugglers as its main focus. Not only is it better suited for action but the premise is a lot more enticing. Contraband Universal Pictures Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) has left his life of crime behind. He has now a legitimate family man running an upright business. When his wife’s brother (Caleb Landry Jones ) gets on the wrong side of a vicious drug lord (Giovanni Ribisi) Chris must do one...
War Horse
posted by Matt Mungle
WAR HORSE invades theaters this Christmas Day. Director Steven Spielberg started production on this film right after he saw the stage play saying, “the play made me cry because, the hope that the horse brings to Albert and brings to every human character in the play.” But the key in this...
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
posted by Matt Mungle
The thing to love about the new Sherlock Holmes film is that it’s a whole lot like the first installment. Guy Ritchie uses what worked earlier to make Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows such a fun time at the theater. He didn’t try and reinvent the wheel but instead he just let it roll. From the wit, to the pace to the filming style; all the elements are prevalent here. Love the first one? You will like this one even better. Not a fan of the earlier film? Then don’t expect to find atonement here. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Warner Bros. Pictures This time around Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is trying to pin evidence on...
The Girl with the Dr...
posted by Matt Mungle
The question rolling around in the back of many heads all year, including my own, was can Rooney Mara pull it off? Can she bring the same intensity to the character of Lisbeth Salander that Noomi Rapace did in the original Swedish film; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The only way this...
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