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‘We’re The Millers’ Hit and Misses
Here’s something nobody needs – an unfunny evaluation of a comedy movie. “We’re the Millers” is one of those hit and miss lowbrow comedies with enough big laughs to deserve my recommendation. Its...
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‘The Spectacular Now’ But Not Never
“The Spectacular Now” is a new coming-of-age teen drama. It is directed by James Ponsoldt, who made last year’s alcoholism-themed relationship drama “Smashed.” Working from the original novel by Tim...
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Criterion: Keeping Physical Media Important
Over the weekend I enjoyed watching “On the Waterfront,” the new edition from Criterion. Having rented it from Wild and Woolly Video, I was provided with the three discs, which include alternately...
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A Slow September
By BENNETT DUCKWORTH Contributing Writer It’s one of those months of the year when going to the movies leaves me wondering why I didn’t just stay home. Such was the case with Jerusha Hess’ (Co-writer...
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‘Prisoners’: Down Right Chilly
I almost didn’t see a movie this weekend. Seriously, it was nice outside. I thought about writing an ecstatic review of Louisville’s early fall weather. Instead, I waited until late at night to see...
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Don Jon: A Tale of Escapism and Addiction
Joseph Gordon Levitt has stressed in interviews that “Don Jon” is not a film about pornography addiction. He’s right. It isn’t. The decadent subject matter is, however, infused with the film in which...
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Gravity: Out of This World
Alfonso Cuarón amazed me once with his film, “Children of Men,” where he had the ambition to shoot long parts of the movie without cutting and did so with flawless blocking to keep the ongoing imagery...
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From The Sea To The Silver Screen
“Captain Phillips” is a very well made movie and a pretty good example of how a movie’s worth is not based on its entertainment value. Halfway through, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Its portrayal...
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Carrie: Another Bloody Remake
Kimberly Pierce’s (“Boys Don’t Cry”) new movie based on Stephen King’s “Carrie” doesn’t do much of anything that wasn’t accomplished by Brian De Palma in 1976. I’m not saying that I’m a fan of the old...
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Bad Grandpa: Naughty and Not Nice
Reviewing a feature-length film that is driven by real-life pranks, such as the work of Sacha Baron Cohen, or that of Johnny Knoxville with this particular movie, isn’t unlike an attempt to review...
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“The Wolf of Wall Street” &“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
“The Wolf of Wall Street” is another demonstration of Martin Scorsese’s great craft as a filmmaker who delivers cinema with a punch after nearly half a century in the business. On the other hand, it’s...
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“Her” &“Inside Llewyn Davis”
Over the week, I had the satisfaction of watching two tales of melancholy told by great filmmakers. Naturally, neither of these movies made me feel happy, but they both managed to be memorable works of...
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“August: Osage County” &“The Broken Circle Breakdown”
This week, I have two films for you that involve family, heartbreak and Oscar candidacy. “August Osage County” features an all-star cast, including Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts (both up for Oscars),...
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“The Hunt” Shooting for an Oscar
Currently available for download and rental is an Oscar contender for the Best Foreign Language Feature this year. It is Denmark’s “The Hunt,” a film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, starring the...
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Philip Seymour Hoffman 1967 – 2014
During my teens, I first saw Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film “Twister,” and I was as annoyed with his party-guy-storm-chaser comic relief as I was with the movie. Some of my favorite actors made bad...
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A Good 100-Minute Lego Commercial
A “Lego Movie”? Yes there it is. What’s it like? Well it’s a 100-minute Lego commercial, of course. With that said, it’s a really good 100-minute Lego commercial. Is there anything controversial about...
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Good Cop, Great Cop
There is no need for a remake of “RoboCop.” None. Actually, any attempt to remake a film that was directed by Paul Verhoven, is like obliviously mistaking a really funny joke for a story that needs to...
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Honorable Mentions
When the Oscars are coming up, I think about all the unrecognized movies I saw last year, which managed to entertain on some level, even if they weren’t perfect. Some came pretty close, and I wonder...
View Article2014: Anything Worth Looking Forward To?
The Grand Budapest Hotel It says a lot that I loved “Moonrise Kingdom.” I’ve found myself ostracized from certain circles for not liking the films of Wes Anderson. I had always wanted to like them...
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Steven Soderbergh’s “King of the Hill”
In 1993, one of my favorite directors was in the most confusing point of his career when he made a film based on the memoir of A.E. Hotchner. Its name, “King of the Hill,” was in reference to a game...
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