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| EFC STATS |
| Movies Listed: |
22935 |
| Total Ratings: |
239402 |
| Total Reviews: |
25014 |
![[102818429 Hits]](/cgi-bin/gd.cgi?102818429)
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| ONE FOR THE MONEY |
"Finally, This Generation's "V.I. Warshawski". . ."
Peter Sobczynski says... "With its aggressively quirky nature and relentlessly colorful cast of characters, "One for the Money" comes across less as a fully functioning feature film and more like a busted pilot for a series for the USA Network. This attempt to launch a big-screen franchise based on the best-selling novels by Janet Evanovich featuring the adventures of spunky bounty hunter Stephanie Plum contains a number of the ingredients required to make a successful action-comedy but has no real idea of how to put them together into a coherent or entertaining whole. It certainly isn't the worst film in the multiplex these days--it probably isn't even bad enough to fully warrant Lionsgate dumping it into theaters this weekend with no press screenings and a minimum of hype--but there is a fairly decent chance that it may be among the most forgettable of the bunch." (more)
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| MAN ON A LEDGE |
"Modest action-thriller delivers on its modest action-thriller promises."
Mel Valentin says... "The month of January brings with it an overabundance of studio-released mediocrities, cast-offs, and other time-wasters. A better example of that dictum won't or can't be found than "Man on a Ledge," an action-thriller centered on, you guessed it, a man on a ledge, not just any man on a ledge presumably considering suicide (like most men on ledges or, to avoid charges of sexism, women on ledges too), but a man on a ledge with a covert agenda. Unfortunately, all it takes is one run-through of the TV ads and the trailers to know exactly the nature of the man on a ledge's agenda: exoneration from the proverbial crime he didn't commit, the theft, we're told by an excitable detective, of a massive diamond worth $40 million from David Englander (Ed Harris, emaciated), a mega-wealthy, ultra-powerful real-estate developer modeled on the redoubtable Donald Trump, a hissable villain if there ever was one (Trump, maybe, the film's fictional Trump-like character, definitely)." (more)
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| GREY, THE |
"Is It Lupus?"
Peter Sobczynski says... "At this time, I suppose that I must confess that I have never been much of a fan of stories in which ordinary people are somehow trapped out in the middle of nowhere and left to fend for themselves against the cruelties of nature in a desperate effort to survive and make it back to civilization. You see, I have never been much for the so-called pleasures of the wild--a trek through the parking lot at Walmart is enough to fill me with raw terror and my decision to abandon Boy Scouts was due less to their virulent anti-gay policies and more to their equally shameful camping-outside agenda--and whenever I encounter a tale in which someone is trapped in a dangerous mountain range, arid desert or uncharted island and forced to battle any and all elements, it is hard for me to truly sympathize with them because if they weren't so damned stupid as to put themselves in such positions by doing such foolish things as flying, boating, exploring or quenching their thirst for adventure, they wouldn't be struggling to survive and envying those of us whose life choices haven't led to finding themselves trapped on a remote island with no apparent chance of escape. (Of course, in the singular case of "Return to the Blue Lagoon," the envy is reverse but that is pretty much the only exception.) Therefore, it takes a lot for a story along these lines to overcome my innate prejudices towards this particular genre and the great outdoors Grand Guignol "The Grey" does that in spades with a story so gripping and gruesome in its depiction of all the horrors that the vindictive bitch known as Mother Nature has to offer that even the hardiest Jack London buff will find themselves quaking in their Timberlands and refusing to venture out anywhere more potentially dangerous than the local Olive Garden." (more)
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| WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN |
"Red Tales"
Peter Sobczynski says... ""We Need to Talk About Kevin" may have gotten skunked in regards to the recently announced Academy Award nominations but if there was a prize awarded for Worst First Date Film of 2011--and for all I know, there may well have been--it would have snatched that particular trophy in a heartbeat. This is a grim, alienating and depressing work from start to finish and when it was over, I left the screening feeling grim, alienated and depressed. Admittedly, these are sensations that many moviegoers go to extraordinary lengths to avoid experiencing while at the multiplex but I have no problem with them as long as the film in question is grim, alienating and depressing in thoughtful and interesting ways and that is where "We Need to Talk About Kevin" comes up short. It has no problem with supplying some of the saddest, creepiest and most cringe-worthy images and ideas of any recent movie--consider the notion that the sight of an adorable little girl sporting a patch covering the eye lost in an "accident" is not the most horrible thing it has to offer--but it doesn't have much to say about them, certainly not to justify the borderline-hideous experience of watching them play out." (more)
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| ALBERT NOBBS |
"We Need To Talk About Albert. . ."
Peter Sobczynski says... "As you have no doubt heard over and over by now, "Albert Nobbs" has been a pet project for Glenn Close ever since she appeared in a stage adaptation of the George Moore story nearly 30 years ago--not only does she star in the film, she co-produced it, co-wrote the screenplay and even helped to write its theme song. This speaks a lot for her tenacity but long before the first reel ends, most viewers will find themselves wondering why she bothered because whatever it was about the story or the part that stoked her passions, it has not made the jump to the screen along with everything else." (more)
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| PARIAH |
"Should be welcomed by all."
Jay Seaver says... "Films about contemporary youth are tricky things; as much as many filmmakers would like to make a great one, it's a rare thing for a filmmaker to be both close enough in age to the teenage characters of a story like this to have a clear view inside their heads and have honed their skills enough to tell the story this well. So the word done by Dee Rees here is even more impressive; she's managed to make a pretty fantastic film despite not being much older than her main character." (more)
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| EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE |
"Nothing is illuminated."
Brett Gallman says... "Director Stephen Daldry knows exactly where he wants his audience to be by the end of “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” and that’s reaching for their tissue box. The problem is that he has no idea how to gracefully hit his target, so instead of approaching it with the precision of an arrow, he instead opts for a shotgun blasts of cloying sentiment and absurd contrivances, with just about all of it missing the mark." (more)
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| SITTER, THE |
"Give it up for Hill and the kids"
Daniel Kelly says... "“The Sitter” is the second film within 12 months from former indie darling David Gordon Green, a director whose output has been questionable since his 2008 blockbusting success “Pineapple Express”. Last April Green forced “Your Highness” down our throats, a largely laugh free medieval stoner comedy which died a deserved death at the box-office. “The Sitter” is definitely an improvement over that drab affair, Green delivering an unremarkable but oddly affable picture, bolstered notably by the skills of star Jonah Hill. It’s unlikely to revive the babysitting genre of the 80s, but “The Sitter” delivers a reasonably good time, even if it never attempts to be much more than a run of the mill studio endeavour." (more)
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DVD REVIEWS FOR 1/15: GET WELL, MAMIE!!! (AND DON'T WATCH "CONTAGION"!)
by Peter Sobczynski |
| "For the first DVD column of the new year, we unfortunately have a lot of crap to deal with but there are a few gems on display as well--the latest works from a couple of masters, one of the best movies to hit the big screen in 2011 and one of the best films to hit the small screen as well." (more) |
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CRITICWATCH - SHAWN EDWARDS & OTHERS JOYFULLY TAKE YOU INTO THE WORLD OF WHORING
by Erik Childress |
| "It did not take long for the studios to break their promises and pay attention to Criticwatch. OK, so they did not make any promises, but we know several insiders that are paying attention and have even thanked us for exposing these practices of so-called "critics" offering up their stale praise in exchange for all sorts of travel, shelter and nourishment. There are few things more disgusting in the film criticism profession than seeing the Broadcast Film Critics Association refer to their awards as the "Critic's Choice" when 60-70% of them are "entertainment reporters" and rampant blurb whores who say less about the craft of film than Jay Leno. This is a satanic pact that studios have entered into with this crowd for too long now and it is time to finally get out of it. But until they do, Criticwatch will continue to expose how they are hurting their own films." (more) |
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THE BEST AND WORST MOVIES OF 2011: BUCKY LARSON IS NO ARTIST
by Jason Whyte |
| "If anything, many movies released in 2011 had a recurring theme: nostaliga. I know many filmmakers didn't have this in mind, but it seemed that many movies were remembering a time that had past in one way or another. The way things used to be. Was it really all a better time, or are we refleting on what was good about our past and utilizing this to make better choices now? Whatever the reason, this was a simply awesome year for movies. Anyone who doesn't feel this way clearly didn't watch a lot of movies, stuck exclusively to major Hollywood releases, or is a grumpy pants." (more) |
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'THE ACTORS ARE HAVING FUN. THEY REALIZE THEY'RE IN A PAID ADVERTISEMENT FOR TOMMY HILFIGER.'
- Vanessa, On "The Faculty"
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Articles 
Nick Digilio Film Club
