Released: January 17, 2014. Directed by: Kenneth Branagh. Starring: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner. Runtime: 105 min. "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" is one of those films that is simply a decent time at the movies; take it or leave it. It has similar action to a lot of other CIA actioners, with an A-list … Continue reading Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Month: January 2014
January 31 to February 2 Box Office Predictions
The two films being released the last weekend of January is "Labor Day" and "That Awkward Moment." The idea of a film called Labor Day being released in January is a bit of a funny idea. At 2584 theatres, this is the widest initial release for any Jason Reitman film yet. Similar films debut at … Continue reading January 31 to February 2 Box Office Predictions
American Hustle (2013)
Released: December 20, 2013. Directed by: David O. Russell. Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper. Runtime: 138 min. With "American Hustle," David O. Russell creates a heavily stylish look at the lives of con men and an FBI agent trying to reduce corruption in late 1970's New Jersey; but ridding the city of corruption … Continue reading American Hustle (2013)
The Call (2013)
Released: March 15, 2013. Directed by: Brad Anderson. Starring: Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Evie Thompson. Runtime: 94 min. "The Call" is a run-of-the-mill but enjoyable thriller that stars Halle Berry. Berry's character, Jordan Turner, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after an ordinary phone call goes wrong. There is an intruder in a young girl's house, … Continue reading The Call (2013)
Philomena (2013)
Released: November 27, 2013. Directed by: Stephen Frears. Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark. Runtime: 98 min. Today, teenage pregnancy is a commonplace. There's even a TV show about young pregnant girls called "16 and Pregnant" that premiered back in 2009. It seems like a stupid premise to me, but it shows how … Continue reading Philomena (2013)
Frozen (2013)
Released: November 27, 2013. Directed by: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee. Starring (voices): Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel. Runtime: 1o2 min. I heard that "Frozen" utilizes music to assist its narrative and to portray the character's feelings, but I didn't think there'd be a musical number right off the bat. There's a cute reindeer and … Continue reading Frozen (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Released: December 25, 2013. Directed by: Martin Scorsese. Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie. Runtime: 180 min. I'm not going to claim that I'm an expert on anything movies just yet, especially not on films by Scorsese - hell, I haven't even seen "Goodfellas" yet (something I plan on changing this weekend). All I … Continue reading The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Box office prediction (Jan 3-5/2014
Welcome to a new year of box office predictions! And other possibilities, of course. The only new wide release coming out this weekend is "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones," a sort of spin-off in the "Paranormal Activity" series. It looks okay to me; but it's not one of my priority films to see in January. … Continue reading Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones Box office prediction (Jan 3-5/2014
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Released: December 20, 2013. Directed by: John Lee Hancock. Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Annie Rose Buckley. Runtime: 125 min. Many might fear that a biography film made by Disney might feel too Disney, like the way they handle their sports films - a bit cheesy but still entertaining. (It's great that director John Lee … Continue reading Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
2013 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 19,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many … Continue reading 2013 in review