Review: ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’

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It is ridiculous that it has taken so long for me to put together this write up for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” but the truth is that my feelings for this film are a little more complicated than they should be. We’re talking about a movie about a man with spider-like super powers fighting crime in New York City while wearing spandex, after all. Why should this be difficult? It’s a pass-fail kind of thing, is it not? Was I not entertained? Isn’t that enough?

And for some good chunks of time, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is indeed quite entertaining, with the occasional action scenes that actually reach the heights of thrilling. Throw in the mix some solid acting from likable, reliable actors, as well as some downright gorgeous cinematography and a handful of most excellent compositions (obviously going for the “still panel or comic book cover come to life” look and just NAILING it) and you have the ingredients for what should be a good, nay, GREAT movie. And yet, despite all these things, there is something off about this movie, some things were done in a way that just robs it of emotional weight, and without that, we end up with something great looking, yes, but also a little rotten on the inside. Like a supermodel.

(I apologize to any supermodels reading this [who am I kidding, what fucking supermodel is trolling the interwebs for reviews of Spider-Man movies?)Continue Reading …

Bonus Episode – Summer Movie Guide 2014

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In this bonus episode, Chris Crespo and Drewster Cogburn go over the whole summer movie schedule from May through August and they discuss all the big releases of each and every weekend.

PLUS there’s a bonus round of Drewster Cogburn vs The World! Dig it!

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Netflix pick for 5/5/2014 – ‘Swimming With Sharks’

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“Swimming With Sharks” was part of that indie film revival of the early to mid 90s, movies made on the cheap, with one or two slumming movie stars, made by people are writer/directors, involving lots of fast dialogue and a splash of violence meant to shock.

From 1994, this is the story of young aspiring Hollywood writer Guy (Frank Whaley) who gets a career opportunity of a lifetime by getting an assistant job for movie mogul Buddy (Kevin Spacey). The problem for Guy is that Buddy is sadistic asshole keen on heaping as much abuse on his assistants as humanely and legally possible, so Guy gets beat down for awhile before HE CAN’T TAKES IT NO MO’! Know what I mean?

It is a pretty good story, well acted, and with a good ending that was definitely meant to be a little twisty like “oh shit surprise!” but given the satirical tone of much of the film (truly much of Buddy’s action border on criminal), the ending falls in line pretty well with everything else and still packs a punch. A little indie punch.Continue Reading …

#69 – Spread The Love

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In episode 69, Chris Crespo and Drewster Cogburn review Jodorowsky’s Dune, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, there is a new Netflix Instant Pick of the Week, the cast of Star Wars Episode VII is announced, plus other movie news, also Chris and Drew answer sexy questions from the listeners!

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Review: ‘Joe’

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“Joe” is a very interesting character-based Southern drama from David Gordon Green; specifically the David Gordon Green that made movies like “All The Real Girls” and “Undertow” and “Snow Angels” and “Prince Avalanche” as opposed to the David Gordon Green known for the more mainstream “Pineapple Express” and “Your Highness.” We got a moody, atmospheric, heady film, concerned much more with character development and emotional arcs as opposed to mugging for guffaws and weed jokes and dick jokes and such. So actually I guess it depends on which mode of DGG you prefer, though there’s nothing wrong with liking both. I like both.

But “Joe” is certainly the former, a story about an ex-con (Nic Cage) who runs a possibly illegal crew of tree-killers, paid to pave the way for some developers, and the 15-year old drifter kid he takes under his wing and who might actually be able to help give Joe a second chance on life.

This kid, by the way, named Gary, is played by a dude named Tye Sheridan, and he’s putting together a helluva filmography so far, with this being his third movie after “The Tree of Life” and “Mud.” Now there’s a connection there between the three movies, with David Gordon Green being a friend and collaborator of “Mud” director Jeff Nichols on Nichols’ first movie “Shotgun Stories,” and both Nichols and Green being obvious admirers of the work of “The Tree of Life” director Terrence Malick and also with Green and Malick becoming friends and collaborators themselves with “Undertow.” So it all comes back around, these great American filmmakers of different generations.Continue Reading …

Dr. Drew’s Two Cents – Cartoons

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In this BONUS episode, Cinema Crespodiso presents Dr. Drew’s Two Cents, in which Dr. Drewster Cogburn himself ruminates on the joys and memories of cartoons, both of the past and present. Along with Chris Crespo, he talks about everything from Looney Toons to Disney to SNICK and Toonami, Batman, Voltron and Cowboy Bebop and everything else they can think of.

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Netflix pick for 4/28/14 – ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’

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Hey kids, here’s another one for you, a movie that us adults remember fondly, and which upon revisiting, holds up remarkably well as a very solid piece of entertainment. “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is a throwback hard boiled detective film noir movie, with the added bonus of being a movie that features a seamless (especially for its time) blend of animation and live action, as the story is set in a world where cartoons are real beings. Which of course also makes this movie rather silly.

But “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is more than just silly because they managed to balance out the inherent cartoonish antics and nature of the story with much more dark, adult things; there is an element of danger in this movie, especially with the murder of toons with a substance called the Dip, and lead character Ed Valiant (Bob Hoskins) being an alcoholic driven to drink by the horrendous murder of his brother (they dropped a piano on his head. Right smack on his head). There’s a Femme Fatale (Jessica Rabbit, voiced by Kathleen Turner), and this movie features one of the most disturbing and intense movie villains of all time in the form of the awesomely named Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd).

There is a lot to like about “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” which is both an homage to old film noir movies and the awesome cartoony past of both Disney and Warner Brothers. The animation looks incredible, and the movie even starts with a Roger Rabbit cartoon, which is distinctive for actually looking BETTER than most cartoons of this nature have ever looked. And it is a ton of fun just watching all the ways the cartoons interact with the real world set and props in the movie, like how the bad guy Weasels walk around with real guns, and how Roger Rabbit smashes real plate after real plate over his fake cartoon head. Brilliant stuff, chaps.Continue Reading …

CCN – April 2014

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Cinema Crespodiso presents this BONUS episode, Chris Crespo’s CCN for April 2014, in which he talks about the 25th birthday of Game Boy (not Gameboy), other things that happened 25 years ago, the wackness of the Orlando Magic tanking their second season in a row, lame people recommending chain restaurants on Twitter, and of course a round up of ridiculous news stories around the US and the World.

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Netflix pick for 4/21/2014 – ‘Mud’

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Alright alright alright, here is yet another recent example of why Matthew McConaughey is suddenly so beloved again as an actor, just another in a long succession of stand out performances in good to great projects, so you can be forgiven if this one slipped past your radar. But now you know…you gotta see “Mud.”

And you see the thing is that “Mud” is actually much more than just a great McConaughey performance, as it is primarily a coming of age movie about a 13 year old kid, working out his increasingly complicated feelings on the opposite sex, the whole while also helping McConaughey’s character try to reconnect with the love of his life, which ends up being more complicated than it appears. And write/director Jeff Nichols is a new filmmaker…well, not THAT new anymore, as this is his third movie and he just keeps getting better, which is a surprise because his last movie “Take Shelter” is DAMN good. But “Mud” is even better. And his style is one that really emphasizes the locations and locale flavors and characters as much as possible, making the locales just as integral to the story as anything else in the movie.Continue Reading …