Not Everyone’s Cut Out for POKER NIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhaqpgsN-lY Poker Night. 2014. Dir. Greg Francis. Screenplay by Dough Buchanan & Francis. Starring Beau Mirchoff, Ron Perlman, Titus Welliver, Halston Sage, Ron Eldard, Corey Large, Giancarlo Esposito, and Michael Eklund. XLrator Media. Not Rated. 104 minutes. Action/Crime/Thriller ★★★★ I'd anticipated this movie just because of the trailer. Now, sometimes this can come back to …

Continue reading Not Everyone’s Cut Out for POKER NIGHT

True Detective Season 1 Blu ray Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXG1netn9_g True Detective. 2014.  8 episodes directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga; written & created by Nic Pizzolatto.  Starring Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts, and Tory Kittles.  HBO Home Entertainment.  Rated 18A.  458 minutes.  Bonus Material Not Rated.  Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller ★★★★★ (Season 1) ★★★★1/2 (Blu ray) The story of True Detective looks, on the surface, …

Continue reading True Detective Season 1 Blu ray Review

The Interview Suffers from Hype-itis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP8O-MOqmcw The Interview. 2014. Dir. Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen. Screenplay by Dan Sterling; story by Rogen, Goldberg & Sterling. Starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, and Diana Bang. Columbia Pictures. Rated 14A. 112 minutes. Action/Comedy ★★1/2 This film will no doubt divide people. There are a lot of people who want …

Continue reading The Interview Suffers from Hype-itis

The Captive: An Atom Egoyan Fairy Tale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z3_vcRbi7k The Captive. 2014. Dir. Atom Egoyan. Screenplay by Egoyan & David Fraser. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, Rosario Dawson, Mireille Enos, Kevin Durand, Alexia Fast, Peyton Kennedy. Ego Film Arts. 112 minutes. Rated PG. Drama/Thriller ★★★1/2 Canadian director Atom Egoyan is no stranger to telling stories in unique ways, often fragmenting plots into non-linear narrative. …

Continue reading The Captive: An Atom Egoyan Fairy Tale

Horns – A Story of Love & Satan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw_O3A9LSNs Horns. 2014. Dir. Alexandre Aja. Screenplay by Keith Bunin; based on the novel of the same name by Joe Hill. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, Juno Temple, James Remar, Kathleen Quinlan, Heather Graham, and David Morse. Mandalay Pictures. 120 minutes. Rated R. Horror/Thriller ★★★★ Horror can often look like a tired genre. …

Continue reading Horns – A Story of Love & Satan

V/H/S: Viral is a Weird, Wild Ride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cFewDDEP_M V/H/S: Viral. 2014. Directors: Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, and Nacho Vigalondo (the Blu ray release will include the segment "Gorgeous Vortex" directed by Todd Lincoln). Starring Emmy Argo, Emilia Ares Zoryan, Justin Welborn, Amanda Baker, Gregg Bishop, Nick Blanco, Dan Caudill, Stephen Caudill. Magnet Releasing. Rated R. 82 minutes. Horror/Thriller …

Continue reading V/H/S: Viral is a Weird, Wild Ride

The Sacrament: Found Footage in Jonestown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM56RubwTHg The Sacrament. 2014. Directed & Written by Ti West. Starring Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Kate Lyn Sheil, Gene Jones, and Kentucker Audley. Magnet Releasing. Rated R. 95 minutes. Horror/Thriller ★★★★★ Previously I discussed The Sacrament in my 15 Found Footage Films Worth Watching. Here, I'll go much more in-depth on why I think this …

Continue reading The Sacrament: Found Footage in Jonestown

The Real Life Fear of The Houses October Built

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CxXdv3a4yQ The Houses October Built. 2014. Dir.  Bobby Roe.  Written by Roe, Zack Andrews & Jason Zada. Starring Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson, and Tansy Alexander. Room 101. Unrated. 91 minutes. Horror/Thriller ★★★1/2 Any horror movie, regardless of how its end product is perceived, always benefits from some decent performances. …

Continue reading The Real Life Fear of The Houses October Built