Review: ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’

The-Incredible-Burt-Wonderstone

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” is a comedy about a magician who has lost his way, forgetting why he got into the profession to begin with, and his life decision, coupled with the changing tastes of the public, have forced him into a downward spiral, from which only magic can save him. How ironic. With a strong cast, and more than a few good jokes, this movie ends up being more entertaining and likable than it would have seemed possible at the outset. Really, going in to this movie, it looked like a hunk of crap. So when in fact it turns out to be pretty decent, that’s a win for everyone.Continue Reading …

Review: ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’

oz-great-and-powerful-poster1

“Oz the Great and the Powerful” is kind of a weird movie, as it is a prequel to a very popular film, but legally speaking can’t be too associated with that other very popular film, so some things can be referenced but others can’t, and we’re all like, “come on, we all know what’s going on here, why all the squabbling over copyrighted imagery?” Anyway, here it is, a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” the origin story of the man behind the curtain and the three witches who battle for control of the Oz empire.

Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Pineapple Express) is a carnival magician in turn of the century America, in the heartland of Kansas. He’s also a bit of a scumbag, as he woos local girls with the same story he gives everyone, but also at least knows he is a bit of a scumbag when he finds out that an old flame is getting married to some dude, and he refuses to stop it from happening because he feels like he doesn’t deserve such a nice person (and probably also because he doesn’t want to get locked down).Continue Reading …

Review: ‘Identity Thief’

Identity-Thief-UK-Quad-Poster-585x438

“Identity Thief” is the new comedy from Seth Gordon, who made the great documentary “King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters” as well as the rather funny comedy “Horrible Bosses,” but I do fear that this current movie we have here about a woman who steals a man’s personal information in order to run up ridiculous credit charges and bills only to have that man track her down as a form of a generic everyman justice is much closer to Mr. Gordon’s “Four Christmases,” a rather lackluster and unfunny Christmas comedy that everyone has all but forgotten by this point. Except Vince Vaughn. Surely it keeps him up at night, haunting him.Continue Reading …

Review: ‘Warm Bodies’

WARM-BODIES-One-Sheet

When can we put this zombie thing to bed, at least for a little while? Looks, I was super into zombies like everyone there for a hot minute, and then I was done with them, and that is when “The Walking Dead” aired on the television and this zombie thing somehow got even more popular. But you can all feel it, right? The end? Because when we’re down to movies about zombies who re-learn how to live and fall in love, I am pretty sure we’re scraping the bottom.Continue Reading …

Review: ‘Holy Motors’

Holy Motors

“Holy Motors” is an arty French satirical dark comedy, and goodness is that a lot of quirky baggage for one movie, yet here they are, daring to be as arty and as French and as wonderfully weird and off the wall as possible. Those out there adverse to such whimsical and sometimes maddening storytelling will find much to dislike in this movie, while conversely those who seek out different and strange movies will stumble across an embarrassment of riches in this twisted journey of one man going about his day’s work.

The best way to see this movie (or just about any movie, in my opinion, which is why you are here to begin with), is with as little information beforehand as possible. That way there are no expectations and nothing is spoiled and the movie can take it’s time in showing it’s cards. If at all possible, bookmark this review and see the movie first and then come back here and read the rest. You’ll have a more bewildering yet exciting and ultimately fulfilling experience, trust me on that one. And this is the internet, so it is not like this review is going to go anywhere. We’ll all still be here when you get back.Continue Reading …