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Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness 2013

★★ Added

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

The more I think about this film, the less I like it. The audience was excited the Harrison was Khan, but then I was I satisfied with what they did with at. Bored at the long silly exposition to explain how we are meeting Khan early. Doing a reverse of the Kirk/Spock sacrifice in the original looks clever on paper, but compares unfavorably to the original because in the original they had had a long and meaningful friendship. The whole…
Extract

Extract 2009

★★★★ Watched 31 May, 2013

Seems like Mike Judge can only make under-rated films. This was a nice bit of character comedy. Race to beat the sweatpants, trash-talking assembly line workers. Did a good job of being goofy and satirically funny and still being grounded. The ending is weak and unsatisfying and perhaps for most audiences that erases how well done the rest of the film is.

Not many people could play the Jason Bateman role. He remains fundamentally likeable. They probably needed someone like…
The Dresser

The Dresser 1983

★★★★ Watched 31 May, 2013 1

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Very nicely photographed, acted and scripted. It starts epic with scene at a train station where you see the power of Sir to stop a train. Also a bombed building scene (air raid London setting).

Must be based on a play because after that its all behind the scenes for Lear. The madness is a bit tedious, but does generate good suspense whether Sir will perform. Good sketching of the minor characters. Script has some good cutting remarks and a knowing way with Shakespeare and old theater folks. Ending was a bit disappointing -- pushing too much to parallel The Dresser Norman with Lear?
Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beasts of the Southern Wild 2012

★★½ Added

Fascinating meditation in the vein of Malick or DGG's George Washington but wears out its welcome and becomes self-indulgent
Head

Head 1968

★★★★ Added

Anarchic sketch-fest intermixed with music videos

1 like
Arlington Road

Arlington Road 1999

★★ Rewatched 17 Jan, 2013

I remembered liking this better when it first came out.
Drive, He Said

Drive, He Said 1971

★★★ Watched 27 Jan, 2013

Interesting of-the-time story about campus politics and basketball. Worth watching again.
Chinatown

Chinatown 1974

★★★★★ Added

"Apple core? Albacore."
Author! Author!

Author! Author! 1982

★★★★ Added

Shaggy storytelling about a playwright with lots of kids, but in a good 70's kinda way. (I realize it is an 80's movie.)
Paranormal Activity 2

Paranormal Activity 2 2010

★★½ Watched 26 Mar, 2012

Basically a repeat of the first film, but with more characters and a baby under threat. Same exact open-ended ending.
Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity 2007

★★★½ Watched 26 Mar, 2012

Well done. Good naturalness from the performers, creepy suspense. Killer low-budge concept.
Catch-22

Catch-22 1970

★★★½ Rewatched 27 Mar, 2012

More epic than I remembered it, but still disjointed, especially at the beginning. Buck Henry uses dialogue to provide scene bridges to great effect.

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