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| EFC STATS |
| Movies Listed: |
24749 |
| Total Ratings: |
242609 |
| Total Reviews: |
25835 |
![[116201041 Hits]](/cgi-bin/gd.cgi?116201041)
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| ICEMAN, THE |
"Definitely Not An X-Men Spinoff"
Eric Lefenfeld says... "While his roles have been more diverse than his reputation might suggest, Michael Shannon has become a poster child for playing emotionally closed-off men that are trying (and mostly failing) to keep the lid on an ever-festering mass of sociopathy. "The Iceman," based on the true story of Richard Kuklinksi, a seemingly mild-mannered family man who lead a decades-long double life as one of the mob’s most notorious hitmen, continues this trend of bug-eyed lunacy, and the always reliable Shannon gives it his all. It’s too bad that his more-than-game performance is in service of an aimless and underwhelming script that, if anything, is proof positive that an effective crime drama needs to be rooted in something more than smatterings of violence and period-appropriate facial hair." (more)
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| STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS |
"A step down, but not enough of a mess to incur my Wrath."
Jay Seaver says... "The opening of "Star Trek Into Darkness" is everything I want from this new incarnation of the franchise: An adventure on a faraway planet that could happily be dropped into the original series except for the big, movie-scale stunts and effects. And while the filmmakers eventually pile on too much of what the series doesn't need, it remains fairly exciting for a good while." (more)
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| STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS |
"Into dumbness, more like."
Rob Gonsalves says... ""Star Trek Into Darkness" is such a brooding, portentous title for such a zippy goofball of a movie. Why "Into Darkness"? Probably because it sounds cool." (more)
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| BLACK ROCK |
"Interesting people involved in an average thriller."
Jay Seaver says... "When building a survival-in-the-wild thriller, most writers start with something like "Black Rock" and then add stuff - elaborate kills, extra plot twists, maybe some sort of weird backdrop. That's the usual path, but the makers of this movie come from an indie/minimalist background, so what they come up with is simple but quirky and kind of messy like their comedies and dramas. It's an odd combination of pro-grade talent and do-it-yourself technique." (more)
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| GREAT GATSBY, THE (2013) |
"Project X in 1922"
Daniel Kelly says... "Published the guts of a century ago in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” has in the decades since been upheld as the very pinnacle of modern American literature. Operating as a roaring piece of escapism, an involving drama and pointed critique on the dangers of hedonism, “The Great Gatsby” is a marvellous work of fiction, thoroughly deserving of its high standing in the 20th century cultural pantheon. Several filmed adaptations have been attempted since the 1920s (most notably the sedate 1974 version penned by Francis Ford Coppola), but none have managed to fully compress all of Fitzgerald’s motifs and delicate stylistic touches into a unified cinematic product. Enter Baz Luhrmann. The flamboyant Australian may have initially seemed like an odd fit for Fitzgerald’s prose, but the film-maker uses his lust for excess to tremendous effect in “The Great Gatsby”. A sumptuous banquet of audio and visual treats, the adaptation delivers an incredibly immersive experience, thanks in no small part to strong casting and an intelligent preservation of the text’s key motifs." (more)
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| STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS |
"Spoilers ahead--you've been warned."
Brett Gallman says... "Upon witnessing the Enterprise’s recovery from a perilous situation in “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Zachary Quinto’s Mr. Spock remarks that there are no such thing as miracles. However, just four years ago, he practically starred in one—by nearly all means, J.J. Abrams’s reboot of the then-moribund “Trek” franchise was at least a minor miracle in its ability to not only resurrect the series but to also do so in spite of a weak script. With this follow-up, Abrams seems to have resigned himself to this business; this time, though, he’s less miracle-worker and more of a one-trick magician, and his powers aren’t quite as potent." (more)
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| STORIES WE TELL |
"Take This Waltz Instead"
Peter Sobczynski says... ""Stories We Tell" is the most difficult kind of movie for a film critic to write about. This is not to suggest for an instant that it is a bad movie by any means--it is already one of the very best films of the year to date and I am fairly confident it will retain that position when 2013 comes to a close. The problem is that this is one of those films that is best experienced, at least the first time around, by knowing as little about its subject matter as possible before going in. Obviously, I would not dream of supplying any specific information that could be construed as a spoiler in the course of this review but I fear that I may have already said too much despite not really saying much of anything. Therefore, even though I shall be pressing on in my praise for this extraordinary film, my recommendation to you would be to put down this review and go see it right now because I can almost guarantee that, with the possible exception of "To The Wonder," you will not find a better movie playing anywhere at this moment.!" (more)
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| STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS |
"Where Is V'GER When You Need It?"
Peter Sobczynski says... "Whether or not you enjoy "Star Trek Into Darkness," the twelfth big-screen installment of the seemingly endless science-fiction franchise, will depend to a large extent on what sort of expectations you have going into such a thing. If you are simply looking for a slick, effects-heavy extravaganza filled with chases, explosions and fistfights, it should prove to be more than satisfactory. On the other hand, if you are still laboring under the impression that "Star Trek," at least in its classic form, represents something a little more ambitious and thoughtful than that--that it was a sci-fi narrative that derived as much excitement from the idea of seeking and discovering new worlds and civilizations as it did from the standard action beats--then this film will come across as a wildly derivative and largely inert sequel that is more interested in blowing things up and borrowing heavily from its own past than it is in finding a new manner of honoring those ideals." (more)
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'ONE MORE WORD. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR YOUR CHANCES, BUT... YOU HAVE MY SYMPATHIES.'
- Ash, Alien
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