Movie Review: Alien

For years, this masterpiece has been trying to be my favorite film of all time, well tonight it finally happened. Sorry Ghostbusters.

Quite possibly Ridley Scott's best film and the reason he's my favorite filmmaker, Alien is a bonafide classic that holds up all these years after its release. Scott himself has called this his Haunted House movie and it has all the trappings of one. Dark locations, a mounting body count and an unrelenting villain in the form of H.R. Giger's beautiful creation, Alien is one of the best horror films ever made.

Everyone in this cast is pitch perfect, from Sigourney Weaver in her film debut to industry veterans like Ian Holm and John Hurt. They're just so good, you believe that they've actually worked on the Nostromo together for quite some time.

Scott knows how to pull off suspense and it shows. The scene with Dallas traversing the air-shafts is incredibly intense, almost too intense at times. Every scene could possibly be the best scene in the movie, from Kane finding the eggs to Brett's search for Jones the cat, there's never a dull moment.

Direction, editing, the score, set design, special effects, all are amazing and some of the best you're ever likely to see.

I'm not ashamed to say that this is my favorite film of all time, it's endlessly rewatchable and a high point for one of my favorite genres of film. A great horror film, a great slasher film and in the end, simply a great film overall.

Movie Review: Frances Ha

Matthew Curione’s review:

What a delightful little film. Having never seen any of Baumbach's other works, I can't comment on them but Frances Ha is one of the most charming films I've seen all year.

Greta Gerwig's lead performance was truly amazing, she plays such a great "poor thing," I just wanted to hug her every time something went wrong.

Fantastic music, stellar direction, believable down to earth performances and a good story make this one of the best films of 2013.

Movie Review: The Hobbit- The Desolation of Smaug

An entertaining enough film bogged down by far too much unnecessary CGI and some pacing problems.

Peter Jackson returns with his second (!) Hobbit film and I dare say the cracks are starting to show. Myriad parts of Tolkien's appendices make an appearance here including the completely redundant fan-service of Legolas. 

McKellan is great yet again as Gandalf the Grey and Martin Freeman continues to put his own stamp on Bilbo, but when these two aren't on screen the film suffers for the most part. The other performances range from decent to mesmerizing but Jackson just can't seem to stay focused for very long. I found myself deathly bored for extended periods of the film which is something that rarely happens with this series. 

Those gripes aside, it was pretty enjoyable overall and I'll certainly buy it when released on home video, if just to complete the set. 

If you see this for one thing, see it for the titular dragon, Smaug. He truly is a sight to behold and in a film filled with overzealous CG effects, the work put into this beast is very effective. Smaug, like Gollum before, looks like a living breathing creature. So much so that I half-expected a "Dragon Wrangler" credit during the ending scrawl. 

If you're a fan of the series you're going to ignore all of my gripes and see it anyway, and who am I to stop you? It's an entertaining adventure for the most part just don't expect the heights of the original trilogy.

Movie Review: Only God Forgives

Matthew Curione’s review:

In his follow up to Drive, one of my favorite films, Refn takes a look at the seedy underbelly of Bangkok to mostly great results.

There's a serious dip in quality from Drive when it comes to the narrative but OGF is an exceptionally well photographed and acted film, even if Refn doesn't reach the heights of his past triumph. The real flaw here is the lack of characters you actually want to root for. These are some truly despicable humans on display.

Then again perhaps that's the point. Not every story needs to have characters you like or even respect for that matter, some people are just wretched and OGF is proof of that.

Gosling is great as usual, bringing his now trademark stare to almost every scene, even moreso than he did in Drive. It works here though, as the character of Julian seems off-kilter from the start, an aspect that becomes cemented once his domineering mother enters the film. Kristen Scott Thomas is completely insane in this film and it might be the best performance of the bunch. She's a cold, hard bitch who couldn't give two shakes what anyone thinks of her and even though she isn't likeable in the least, her command of the screen makes up for it.

This is a film where even the apparent good guy, a cop named Chang who wields a mean sword, is despicable in the way he goes about serving justice. Vithaya Pansringarm plays one tough dude who isn't afraid to beat you with his bare hands and then go out for a little karaoke. After the twisted nature of Thomas it was shocking to find that Chang might be just slightly more twisted.

This is a great film, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The cinematography is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, which is striking with a story so dark and unsettling. Cliff Martinez returns for another round as Refn's composer and I would dare say that his score here is more impressive than his output for Drive. This is a loud film and a good set of speakers is highly recommended.

Is Only God Forgives better than Drive? No, of course not, very few things are, that's just science. Does it stand on its own? Certainly. This is a crazy film that only gets crazier the more you think about it.

Game Review: Bioshock Infinite

Not a film per se, but with the way games have evolved, it's easy to rate it as one.

Great storytelling and performances on display here with one of the best tales I've experienced in the medium. Bioshock Infinite sucks you in with gorgeous visuals and an intriguing premise and holds you throughout its length.

Ken Levine is one of gaming's true auteurs with his ability to display his own personal vision on the screen and still allow it to be heavily interactive. Rarely does a game ask me to question myself and my beliefs but Infinite did so on numerous occasions. 

Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper steal the show here with two of the best performances I've ever witnessed in a game. Their chemistry is top-notch and highly believable.

It's rare for a first person shooter to come along and be this good with its story and gameplay. Highly recommended for fans of the genre, Ken Levine's storytelling or just good stories in general.

Movie Review- Rob Zombie's Halloween II

A disgusting movie filled with disgusting characters.

Never before in my life have I actively loathed a film throughout its entire runtime. Shame on everyone involved and anyone that can find a modicum of enjoyment in this garbage.

Heavy handed symbolism, the desecration of the Dr. Loomis character, a horrendous protagonist, and Hobo Michael are just some examples of what is wrong with this "film."

With the exception of one great helicopter shot, this looks like it was filmed by a five year old who just discovered the zoom button on his dad's camera. Absolutely atrocious cinematography is on display here.

The only high points here are the performances by Brad Dourif and Danielle Harris, who should've known better than to sign onto this. Being the freshest part of a pile of street trash is nothing to be proud of.

This is the absolute worst in the entire series, it even makes Part 6 look like a masterpiece. Stay far away from this wretched movie, you'll be thankful you did.

Movie Review - Psycho II

Color me impressed. Psycho II is a surprisingly effective sequel to the Hitchcock classic.

I had avoided the Psycho sequels my entire life because I thought nothing more could be done or said in regard to Norman Bates and damn I was wrong.

To say much about the plot would give away more than one of this film's many twists but I will say it's an incredibly well crafted slasher film that accomplishes the rare feat of complementing the original.

Anthony Perkins gives a suitably unhinged performance in his return to the role and the supporting cast is generally good as well. Perkins may be the star here but credit must be given to the screenwriter Tom Holland for being able to come up with a great story and to director Richard Franklin for his ability to keep up the suspense.

Director of Photography Dean Cundey, whose work with John Carpenter I absolutely adore, is fantastic as usual. Some of his shots are mesmerizing, especially his use of shadow and lighting.

All in all, Psycho II never failed to impress me and while it certainly isn't on the Hitchcock level of suspense, it's still a damn fine film. I highly recommend it.