Kate Upton, Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann in The Other Woman. Photo courtesy 20th Century Fox I understand the appeal of films like The Other Woman. They are to women what action flicks are to men – overwrought fantasies meant to provide a cathartic release for the audience. Then again they might exist as a […]
Chuck Koplinski
Posted inArts & Culture
Transcendence wastes its vast potential
Some films go out of their way to have their plots act as a metaphor for the action on screen. Case in point, the recent horror film Oculus, about an evil spirit that lives in a mirror, sports a story that puts together scenes from the past and present in such a way that they […]
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Pace undercuts Heaven
Greg Kinnear and Connor Corum in Heaven is for Real. “Pillar of the community” and “salt of the earth” are the kinds of things you’d use to describe Todd Burpo. He belongs to his town’s volunteer fire department, is a loving father and faithful husband and has no problem practicing what he preaches, which is […]
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Oculus a clever exercise in low-budget horror
Following the maxim, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Blumhouse Productions continues to adhere to the formula that’s made it one of the fastest growing, small production arms in Hollywood. Sticking to budgets of $5 million or less, offering profit participation to lure the occasional name actor and aggressively promoting their modest horror films, […]
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Cap 2: Sober reflection
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Captain America. While it could be argued that Captain America is the least “super” of the superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe, there’s no question he carries the most symbolic weight. The character, having been created at the dawn of World War II, was an obvious propaganda symbol used […]
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Conflicted Noah visually spectacular, narratively muddled
Hardly worrying about catering to the critical eye of theologians or the concerns of the bean counters at Paramount Pictures, director Darren Aronofsky has succeeded in creating a singular vision with Noah to the tune of $125 million. A film that created a stir from the moment it was announced, this is a project that […]
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Anderson in fine form
Tom Wilkinson, Tony Revolori and Owen Wilson. PHOTO COURTESY FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES It’s tempting to say that if you’ve seen one Wes Anderson film, you’ve seen them all, an ironic comment that I can’t help but think the director would appreciate. Each and every one of his movies from Rushmore on (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic […]
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Woodley shines in familiar Divergent
Theo James as Four and Shailene Woodley as Beatrice Prior/Tris in Divergent. PHOTO COURTESY SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT Better than Twilight but not quite as good as The Hunger Games, Neil Burger’s Divergent is the latest foray into the arena of ’tween lit adaptations that’s seen far more wannabe franchises vanquished than successful launches. Film series based […]
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A rousing Rise of an Empire
Eva Green as Artemisia in 300: Rise of an Empire. PHOTO COURTESY Warner Bros. Pictures I was one of the few who wasn’t completely taken in by Zack Snyder’s 300. While the aesthetic he employed – digital backgrounds, bleeding colors and darkly accented characters that suggested a comic book on acid – was gripping, the […]
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Grounded Speed outdistances Furious
Aaron Paul stars as Tobey Marshall in Need for Speed. PHOTO BY WALT DISNEY PICTURES Do we need another movie built around fast cars and reckless drivers? Or for that matter, one based on a video game? For me, the answer is a resounding “no” to both questions and that being the case, I went […]
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Non-Stop flaws
Liam Neeson stars as Bill Marks in Non-Stop. PHOTO BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES Liam Neeson continues to save the day in Jaume Collet-Serra’s Non-Stop, a claustrophobic thriller that, if nothing else, lives up to its title. Never before has a film been so stagnant in setting, yet brisk in the way it tells its tale. It […]
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Costner saves 3 Days to Kill
Kevin Costner in 3 Days to Kill. McG’s 3 Days to Kill is the sort of film that’s hard to defend. Yet, I couldn’t help but be entertained by its odd pastiche of elements and dark sense of humor, both of which helped add a sly twist on what otherwise would have been a pedestrian […]
