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| EFC STATS |
| Movies Listed: |
27590 |
| Total Ratings: |
245153 |
| Total Reviews: |
26543 |
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| MORTDECAI |
"Mystery of the stolen wit."
Jay Seaver says... "It is easy to blame Johnny Depp for all that is wrong with "Mortdecai" - he's a producer, he's been front and center in the terribly unfunny coming attraction that has played before seemingly every movie over the last few months, and, to be frank, he has squandered a lot of audience goodwill on performances with more mannered quirk than genuine charm over the past decade or so. It's not all on him, though; while he doesn't help, he hurts less than you might expect. And who knows - maybe his input actually contributed to the moments when you can see the pieces of a potentially great movie." (more)
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| APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR |
"It does its own thing."
Rob Gonsalves says... "The debut feature by writer/director Desiree Akhavan, "Appropriate Behavior" has been compared to Lena Dunham’s HBO series "Girls."" (more)
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| BOY NEXT DOOR, THE |
"Less Than Enough"
Peter Sobczynski says... "Ever since the previews for the new Jennifer Lopez thriller "The Boy Next Door" began running a couple of months ago, astute moviegoers have been anticipating a Bad Movie of mammoth proportions. Between the risible premise, laughable dialogue and the sight of a once-major movie star reduced to appearing in trash that they wouldn't have even considered doing a few years earlier--all of which managed to be conveyed within the confines of a two-minute trailer--here was a film that was already inspiring more laughs than most actual comedies of recent vintage long before it even hit theaters. Now that it has arrived, the question on the minds of most observers is not "Is it any good?"--the virtual impossibility of that scenario being a forgone conclusion--as much as it is "Is it as bad as it looks?" Well, yes and no. "Yes" because it is an awesomely idiotic would-be erotic thriller that is neither erotic nor thrilling and which contains more bad laughs than any film to come along since "Left Behind." "No" because for as trashy as it is, it too often seems to be pulling its punches instead of simply embracing its trashy premise wholeheartedly. There are movies out there where subtlety, restraint and quiet dignity can add immeasurably to the proceedings and believe me, "The Boy Next Door" is most certainly not one of them." (more)
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| MR. TURNER |
"A fitting portrait of an artist known for seascapes."
Jay Seaver says... "This is Mike Leigh's third historical biography, which is somewhat surprising considering what a loosely outlined style he is famous for using - improvisation and recreation do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. And yet, somehow, this winds up an excellent way to get to know Joseph Mallard William "Billy" Turner, more so than any particular narrative might." (more)
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| BLACKHAT |
"Mann hacks into the void."
Brett Gallman says... "“Blackhat” is a film that demands to be considered exclusively in terms of its director. It’s such a Michael Mann Movie that you wonder if the 71-year-old filmmaker is even concerned with appealing to an audience; mostly, it feels like he’s conversing with himself to figure out how his usual thematic and aesthetic preoccupations work within the theater of a globe-hopping cyber-warfare movie. The result is Mann’s “Quantum of Solace:” a film that’s vast and intimate all at once as it contemplates connections amidst a hail of gunfire and car bombs." (more)
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| 20 ONCE AGAIN (AKA MISS GRANNY) |
"Near-Miss Granny"
Jay Seaver says... "When I said I'd be interested in seeing a remake of Korean comedy "Miss Granny" when I saw it at the Fantasia Festival last August, I didn't realize that one was already shooting in China. It's no shock - I still expect an English-language version sooner or later - although it would have been nice if it had cleaned up the ending or come up with some clever ideas to make up for what it inevitably loses in translation." (more)
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| SPARE PARTS (2015) |
"Everyday pieces put together fairly well."
Jay Seaver says... "If I believed in guilty pleasures, I might count movies like "Spare Parts" among them, even though there's not much worth feeling bad about where it's concerned. Sure, it breaks almost no new ground at all, following its formula closer than it really needs to. On the other hand, it does so with general good humor and without being patronizing, and if you can't enjoy a science-underdogs story that avoids the pitfalls, then here can't be much that makes you happy." (more)
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| VICE |
"Inherently Awful"
Peter Sobczynski says... "Last week saw the release--well, a few theaters and VOD--of "Predestination," a low-budget sci-fi thriller that proved to be a delightful surprise thanks to an endlessly clever premise and screenplay, strong performances and a smart and stylish approach that went a long way towards overcome its presumed budgetary limitations. In some misguided attempt to balance the cinematic scales, this week sees the release--well, a few theaters and VOD--of "Vice," a low-budget sci-fi thriller that may well go down as one of the most gracelessly idiotic wastes of time of this still-young year." (more)
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MY FAVORITE FLICKS FROM 2014
by Greg Ursic |
| "It's the spur of the moment question every movie reviewer dreads: "What were the best movies you saw this year?" Sure it sounds simple, but when you’ve seen 200 films - five or six a day come festival time - it takes some serious thought (that's why I keep a detailed list, as my memory ain't what it used to be. Not only that, you need to know your audience; you're not going to recommend the amazing art house flick to someone who can't standing reading subtitles. So after a lot of reflection and a couple drinks here are my 2014 Faves." (more) |
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CRITICWATCH - THE 2014 QUOTE WHORES OF THE YEAR
by Erik Childress |
| "2014 has come to an end. Not a particularly great year for the media, ending the way much of it handled the Sony hacking story. Are we journalists or just cogs feeding the gossip mill? In some manner it was a perfect manifestation of what Criticwatch has tried to symbolize over the years. Are we critics or just part of the marketing machine? If we can't come up with a definitive answer to that question what hope do more pressing ones about journalism have? We did not do as many singular stories week-to-week as we have been used to in the past. That was partially due to commitments to other projects but also because there was a little less quote whoring going on. Or so it seemed. We never stopped watching though and documenting what would ultimately become our annual list of those to keep an eye on in the ever-widening landscape of film criticism." (more) |
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'JERRY, I ASKED YOU A SIMPLE QUESTION! THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO BECOME WOODY ALLEN!'
- Helen, Sliding Doors
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