Avengers: Age of Ultron & Style Over Substance

Avengers: Age of Ultron. 2015. Directed & Written by Joss Whedon; based on the Marvel comics by Jack Kirby & Stan Lee. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, …

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Kevin Bacon Tries to Kill Deviant Kids in Cop Car

Cop Car. 2015. Directed by Jon Watts. Screenplay by Christopher D. Ford & Jon Watts. Starring Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Camryn Manheim, and Shea Whigham. Audax Films/Dark Arts Film/End Cue/Park Pictures. Rated R. 86 minutes. Thriller β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… Ever since last year'sΒ Clown I've been waiting to see another directorial effort from Jon Watts. Contrary …

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Saw V: And Things Get Worse

Saw V. 2008. Directed by David Hackl. Screenplay by Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton. Starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Julie Benz, Meagan Good, Mark Rolston, Carlo Rota, Greg Bryk, Laura Gordon, Joris Jarsky, and Mike Butters. Twisted Pictures. Rated R. 92 minutes. Horror/Mystery β˜…β˜…1/2 From thisΒ sequelΒ on, I believe theΒ Saw series loses …

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The Surprising Fun of Saw IV

Saw IV. 2007. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Screenplay by Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton. Starring Tobin Bell, Costa Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Lyriq Bent, Athen Karkanis, Louis Ferreira, Simon Reynolds, Donnie Wahlberg, Angus Macfadyen, Shawnee Smith, Bahar Soomekh, and Dina Meyer. Twisted Pictures. Rated. R. 93 minutes. Horror/Mystery β˜…β˜…β˜…1/2 WithΒ Saw IV we're experiencing …

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Saw III Gets Personal

Saw III. 2006. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Screenplay by Leigh Whannell. Starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer, Leigh Whannell, Mpho Koaho, Barry Flatman, Lyriq Bent, J. LaRose, Debra McCabe, Costas Mandylor, and Betsy Russell. Twisted Pictures. Rated R. 108 minutes. Horror/Mystery β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… A reason I didn't enjoyΒ Saw …

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Saw II Proves Bigger Is Not Better

Saw II. 2005. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Screenplay by Darren Lynn Bousman & Leigh Whannell. Starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Donnie Wahlberg, Erik Knudsen, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Beverley Mitchell, Wil Burd, Dina Meyer, Lyriq Bent, Noam Jenkins, and Tony Nappo. Twisted Pictures. Rated R. 93 minutes. Horror β˜…β˜…β˜… James Wan and …

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Saw: Raw Modern Indie Horror

Saw. 2004. Directed by James Wan. Screenplay by Leigh Whannell, from a story by Whannell & James Wan. Starring Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer, Mike Butters, Paul Gutrecht, Michael Emerson, Benito Martinez, Monica Potter, and Shawnee Smith. Twisted Pictures. Rated R. 103 minutes. Horror/Mystery β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…1/2 There are plenty of people …

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Chronicle: Teenage Found Footage Superheroes

Chronicle. 2012. Directed by Josh Trank. Screenplay by Max Landis. Starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Bo Petersen, and Anna Wood. Twentieth Century Fox. Rated 14A. 84 minutes. Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…1/2 I'm always a defender of found footage. There are plenty of instances of bad found footage films, but who …

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