The sequel. As a rule it has to have twice as much of everything. In "Friday the 13th Part 2" Jason took over from his mother, and hacked up way more camp councilors. In "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" Leather Face laid waste to more than just one van of hippies. Compared to the original Michael Bay's loud, grating, mind numbing metal mayhem that is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" follows that rule to a "T." It has twice as many Transformers, twice as many explosions, twice as many shots of Megan Fox's cleavage running, twice as many up-angle shots of Shia LaBoeuf screaming in slow motion, and most of all, with a screeching shout it is twice as terrible.

The plot here is a rehash of the first one where Sam (LaBeouf) and Mikaela (Fox) search for a mythical Macguffin, this time the Matrix instead of the All Spark, before Megatron and the Decepticons can start a star destroying machine that will wipe out the human race. Also like the first installment there are so many themes thrown in it becomes a paella of weird, and often Hawkish, American jingoism and moralizing. From what I could glean the US can't pull out of Iraq because giant Robots want to steal all of the oil.

Continue reading Transformers Review: Two Words... S**t Sandwhich..

Last year it was Let the Right One In" that was making us Americans look toward Norway in awe, saying "Now that's good Horror." This year the horror/comedy from first time director Tommy Wirkola Dead Snow will be doing the same thing, but in a much different tone. Where Let the Right One In was steeped in that Northern European morose quietude owing a lot to Bergman and Dreyer, Dead Snow and its Nazi Zombies are more indebted to Raimi and Romero...meaning it is loud, bloody, and awesome.

Continue reading Dead Snow Review: One Word...Nazi Zombies..

"Did you ever think it's because God doesn't exist?" bemoans Oh, the socially deficient sourpuss in Harold Ramis' new film "Year One." The denial of God's existence is a brave thing to do in a wide release studio picture meant to placate a wide swath of American audiences, but only if it sticks to its convictions. Unfortunately this dull comedy has none of those convictions, and is steeped in cowardice in both message and humor. From the brilliant mind that gave us "Caddyshack," and "Groundhog Day," this film is a disappointment of Biblical proportions.

Continue reading Year One Review: Bringing God To The Masses..

One down side of being an auteur is that after a while all of your films become strikingly similar. Another down side is that no one picture can ever be judged on its own merit, but rather always in context of ones past. Those facts are never so apparent than in Woody Allen's new film, Whatever Works. A decent example of his theories on the human condition this movie will be remembered as the one where Allen most cannibalized himself.

Continue reading Whatever Works Review: A Little of This..

Tony Scott knows how to open a movie. His new film, "The Taking of Pelham 123," starts like an audio uppercut. By the end of the title credits the movie off to the races, and it doesn't quit until the final credits come smashing down. "Pelham" is dripping with Scott's hyper-kinetic signature style, which keeps the picture moving even though it is mostly about standing still. Pack your Dramamine and stand clear of the closing doors.

Toted as a film based on the original novel penned by Jeffery Godey, and not a remake of the 1974 film, this version pits Garber (Denzel Washington), a mild mannered subway trafficker who has recently been demoted because of a bribery accusation, against Ryder (John Travolta) a sociopath with a grudge. They face off over the titular train on either side of a microphone. Both Washington and Travolta create fun and interesting characterizations that start to unravel by the end of the picture.

Continue reading The Taking Of Pelham 123 Review: A Lesson In Economy..