Boldly go to the theater to see the new voyage of the starship Enterprise in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. Star Trek: Into Darkness Paramount Director J.J. Abrams follows up his amazing 2009 film with a sci-fi adventure that has all the elements you loved in the first one with even stronger character dynamics. This summer is full of sequels and even trilogies and if this one is any taste of what is to come then this will be a summer to remember. This time around there is one man (Benedict Cumberbatch) trying to bring destruction to the world and it is up to Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and crew to stop him. What they find is an adversary that is...

THE GREAT GATSBY finally hits theaters after a delayed release. Initially intended for Christmas of 2012 this remake of the 1974 classic has a strong leading man and a few supporting actors who get the job done, though in forgettable fashion. There are things to love about this one but sadly it is plagued with creative decisions that will leave many shaking their head in frustration. The Great Gatsby Warner Bros. Pictures Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald the story centers around Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) an eccentric millionaire who befriends Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a quiet Midwesterner. Carraway is soon sucked into the...

My first thought when I received the notice for the IRON MAN 3 screening was, “do we need another Iron Man movie?” The first film was superb, the second one mediocre at best, plus we had a good dose of the suited, brilliant, billionaire, playboy Tony Stark in the Avengers film. My concern was not only that the franchise would suffer with more movies but also that viewer burnout would be high. Boy, am I glad when I am wrong. This could be the best helping of Iron Man yet. Though certainly not an origin film we do get a bit of back-story into Tony and the current villain. We quickly get to present day in the wake of the alien...

Is it so hard to create a ninety minute comedy? Obviously it is.   The Big Wedding Lionsgate THE BIG WEDDING had an excellent cast, a fairly humorous and unique story line, plus is submerged in an event that is always fodder for fiasco. So what happened? The answer is simple; too much. Don (Robert De Niro) and Ellie (Diane Keaton) have been divorced for some time. Their three children, including an adopted son Alejandro (Ben Barnes), are grown and Don has even been in a longtime relationship with Bebe (Susan Sarandon). They are all planning a large wedding for Alejandro and his fiance Missy (Amanda Seyfried) when a wrench is thrown in...

Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D. as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side. Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people.  His mission?  To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth. Once the wise-cracking Roy is...

Believe it or not but there is a large number of movie fans that salivate (literally) over this genre and any mention of the original Evil Dead. Evil Dead TriStar Pictures So it only makes sense that the new film, produced by the original film makers, would be all the buzz. Granted these types of movies are never for the squeamish or faint of heart. And many would find them almost repulsive. But I have to say that even with all of that there is something quite splintered tongue in carved out cheek that make them in some way, fun. The script is pretty close to the same as five friends get together in a remote cabin to try a drug intervention...

Seems a little early in the year to talk about huge blockbusters but even though we are barely into April we get a film that could easily run with the big boys of summer.   G.I. Joe: Retaliation Paramount Pictures G.I. Joe: Retaliation is an action filled thrill ride from beginning to end and does the franchise proud. Normally there would be excuses made for plot holes, script issues and over acting. But not this time around. Every aspect of this film can stand with its head held high. When the Joe’s are ambushed on a routine mission they have to once again face their enemy Cobra as well as find out who is pulling puppet strings...

There seems to be a trend these days with romantic comedies trying to add a bit too much drama. Admission Focus Features The viewer ends up confused as to which emotion to engage. In the end both genres suffer slightly. In the new comedy, ADMISSION, I wanted more laughs and less emoting. Not to say it isn’t still a solid date night film, just warning you that it isn’t wall to wall hilarity. For some that might be a bonus. Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is a Princeton admissions officer working hard at weeding out the undeserving freshman entries. She is on the fast track to head up the department after 16 years of dedicated service. When visiting...

What a giant journey this one turned out to be!  Jack the Giant Slayer is the first full scale adventure to hit the big screen in 2013 and brings with it humor, royal romance, solid acting, and of course Giants. Jack The Giant Slayer Warner Bros. Pictures Luckily audiences will not have to wait several more months and swim through a sea of blockbusters to find something exciting and enjoyable. The story is familiar enough and follows the basic template of the fairy tale. A young, poor farm boy trades his horse for some “magic beans”. This produces a huge stalk that grows into the heavens opening a long closed portal between man and giant....

The 168 Film Project (168) announced the Call for Entries today for the 11th annual speed filmmaking contest .   “168” is a global competition in which teams are challenged to create a short film based on randomly-selected scripture in one week (168 hours) from any location.  Filmmakers get 10 days for writing and pre-production and then exactly 168 hours to shoot and edit an up-to-10-minutes-or-less film. Teams worldwide will vie for Six-Figures in cash and prizes to be detailed by February 21st.  Entry fees range from $168 until Feb. 15th to $348 in May–and include free Festival Passes and the chance to screen at the 168 Film...