Archive for July 2013
RIPD Review
This summer has certainly had a lot of blockbusters, and it’s not over yet. I can hardly keep up with them all. Of all the movies I’ve seen so far this year, RIPD is not the worst one, although not the best either. RIPD is a supernatural comedic action flick with a bit of romance thrown in, and is overall an enjoyable film to watch. So what’s it all about anyway?
The Wolverine Review
Remember back in 2009 when they released a solo Wolverine movie and everyone was super excited? Yea, me too. I mean, how can you go wrong with an independent adventure a la X2, focused solely on the badass predator, Logan? Then we all saw that steaming pile of crap and lost all faith in a genuinely good solo Wolverine film. Thankfully, James Mangold came around and tried to make a faithful adaptation that would renew our faith in X-Men films (trying to wash out the stale taste of X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.) I’m so glad to say that he (mostly) succeeded. Pacific Rim Review
In a summer filled with ridiculous sequels (like Grown Ups 2) and even the good sequels (Despicable Me 2) it’s always nice to see an original property. And when that property involves a phenomenal director like Guillermo Del Toro, you have yourself a bona fide blockbuster. While the trailers didn’t offer a lot to be genuinely excited about, I still had faith in Del Toro to deliver something in the realm of Hellboy or Blade II. And, to a certain extent, he didn’t disappoint. Only God Forgives Review
Way back in 2011 the world was taken by storm by a little indie film called Drive. Though director Nicolas Winding Refn had been around the block a few times before, this was his first film to get huge recognition. It was nominated for numerous awards, but, disgustingly, lost most of them. I absolutely adored the film (in fact, it made my top five of 2011), so I was ecstatic when I heard that Gosling and Winding Refn were teaming up again for a potentially awesome film. Despicable Me 2 Review
Like many people, I absolutely loved Despicable Me when it came out back in 2010. So, just like most people, I was really excited to see the return of Gru, Agnes, Margo, Edith, and (of course) the minions. Everyone loved the first movie for its hilarious plot and phenomenal voice acting and with new additions, like the hilarious Kristen Wiig, Despicable Me 2 delivers a new, but oddly familiar kid’s movie that was almost as enjoyable as the first. White House Down Review
I won’t lie: I make judgements about movies before I see them. Some movies either look stupid, or the director has a bad track record, or a combination of the two. But since I have started writing movie reviews, I have forced myself to see some of those movies that I didn’t think looked any good. White House Down was one of those movies. It looked like a stupid action film, and it didn’t help that it had a not-so-reliable director behind it. Thankfully, everything I assumed about the movie was wrong.Late to the Party: Cassandra's Dream
I don’t think anyone is going to argue when I say: I watch a lot of movies. Even with the obscene amount of movie watching that I do, I am bound to miss a majority of films every year. I try to keep myself aware of as many films as possible in a given year, but it is very difficult. Inevitably, many great films slip past me. Thankfully, due to the internet and my movie loving friends, I get some great suggestions about films that I should watch, though most of these suggestions come years after the release. So, I decided I would start a recurring article where I will talk about those hidden gems (which are sometimes not so hidden...) that I’m finally getting around to seeing. The Lone Ranger Review
I have no idea what it is about Johnny Depp that makes people go absolutely nuts about movies he is in. I genuinely can’t remember the last live action performance of his that I really enjoyed. Maybe Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl? I think that he is, for the most part, a one note actor. He has played one character since the 90’s, and that is the weirdo. So, you can imagine how unexcited for this film I was. Did I really want to see Johnny Depp play the same character that he always plays...again? No. But did I want to see Gore Verbinski (potentially) make one of few excellent westerns in the 21st century? Hell yes. The Heat Review
I don’t think anyone needed much convincing when they heard that Bridesmaids director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy were getting together to make another film. Throw Sandra Bullock into the mix and you have the makings of the phenomenally raunchy, buddy cop film. I was definitely on board with the concept and, luckily, the film delivered exactly what was promised. Best Philip K Dick Film Adaptations
Deadpool: The Game Review
Let me just say this upfront: Deadpool is, hands down, my favorite comic book character ever. I absolutely eat up anything he is in. I’ve bought every single comic that he was in for as long as I can remember. So, you can only imagine how excited I was when they announced (a really long time ago) that a video game was in the cards. My brother pre-ordered the game for me for Christmas last year (thanks again, Nick!) and so the countdown began. Thankfully, the game came last week, and I got my Deadpool fix for the week. And boy was it good.
Sequels Better than the Original: Video Game Edition
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Review
Yes, it’s a long name, but it’s definitely eye-catching. Ransom Riggs’ novel is a unique combination of YA fiction, sci fi, and old black-and-white photographs. It’s a unique work of art full of colorful characters and terrifying monsters, and a fantasy universe that you’ll love to dive into. Without giving away too much of the plot, I’ll attempt to tell you why you should read this book, and you definitely should.
Top 5 Philip K Dick Novels
As lots of you probably know, I love Dick. I know how that might sound, but I obviously mean the acclaimed science fiction author Philip K Dick (get your minds out of the gutter!) I remember when I was first introduced to Dick, which was all the way back in freshman year of high school. In my English 9 class, we were reading a bunch of sci-fi/dystopian books/stories, so we read Ayn Rand's Anthem, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and then Philip K. Dick's short story, Minority Report. In just five pages, Dick painted a beautiful story, with an elaborate world and great characters. I absolutely fell in love with his writing and went out and bought all of his books. I didn't read them all immediately, but eventually (five years later, in college) I finally got around to reading all of his novels, as well as his short stories. I plowed through a lot of different parallel universes, alternate realities, dystopian futures and loved every minute of it. Since he has way more short stories than novels, I thought it would be a good idea to just focus on his novels for this list. So, let me share with you my five favorite novels by my favorite author: Philip K. Dick.
