By Ron and Leigh Martel Movie Reviewers In this thinking person’s action flick, a futuristic society sadistically requires children to kill other children as a form of entertainment. The fact that “The Hunger Games” book and film are blockbusters in our current society illustrates the truest form of political satire. Either that or our jaded society is just as sick as that portrayed so fo…
It doesn’t seem possible that in today’s world, a silent movie filmed in black and white could be nominated for Best Picture of the Year – and just might win. It is a cinematic experiment gone terribly right. This masterpiece is so truly innovative, the term modern classic doesn’t seem oxymoronic. In fact, it just might leave you speechless. The film is compelling in spite of being silent…
By Ron and Leigh Martel Movie Reviewers If you enjoy your patriotism laced with heavy weaponry, have we got a movie for you! Dedicated to and starring real-life Navy SEALs, this action thriller is extremely loud and incredibly close. Unlike Hollywood’s recent view of our soldiers, these warriors aren’t emotionally wacked out from being over-stressed, under-appreciated or over-dosed. Inspire…
To reboot the ‘80s TV show “21 Jump Street,” they will replace that mullet-headed heartthrob, Johnny Depp, with none other than Jonah Hill. Instead of a serious legal drama, this story (co-written by Hill) is loaded with 30-year-old gags, but laced with unrestrained vulgarity and raunchiness. So, shouldn’t this flick be called, “Porky’s?” The good news is the movie was created for t…
“The Twilight Saga” is not so much a series as it is a phenomenon. It has something to do with a wholesome teenager in love with a couple of serial killers. Bella excuses Edward, her vampire, “You probably saved more lives than you took.” But teen wolf Jacob suspects vampire-boy will suck the life out of her like a monkey on a grape. You see, werewolves hate vampires like vampires hate h…
Speaking of Oscar, this sequel will never be mentioned by the Academy, even in passing. It’s the story of a crazed motorcyclist from hell. What, Gary Busey wasn’t available? Next in the rotation is Nicholas Cage. If you love seeing Crazy Nick go nuts, this is just one more of your many opportunities. It’s been a long time since Cage earned his Oscar (“Leaving Las Vegas” 1995). Since …
The Saturday matinee has a new double feature with adversaries despicable enough to greet people with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Family movies reviewed; one with characters brought back from early days the other bringing to light a true story of the importance of family. **The Adventures of Tintin** This non-stop thrill ride with an endless stream of creative conscious…
We’ve all seen this one. An ex-cop is falsely accused of a crime and threatens to jump to his death unless his case is overturned. Well, this crime thriller is more of the same, only different. On a parallel path, a preposterous but entertaining impossible missions duo nearly plunges the plot over its own ledge. So the movie is not well grounded, Asger Leth, directing his first feature-length f…
If spoofing the TV Soap Classic, “Dark Shadows,” get Tim Burton to direct Johnny Depp. They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky. Depp can make a quirky vampire and would be certain to offer the role some fresh blood. Unfortunately, this film is not all that bewitching and should not have seen the light of day. When Burton and Depp click, they are called genius, but when th…
'Salmon Fishing in The Yemen' If planning on fishing for salmon in the Middle East, especially in The Yemen, this film is for you. Granted, the title could narrow the audience to a very specific demographic, but it’s somewhat misleading. Sure, it’s accurately descriptive, but the film is so much more. The creative story lured us in with unusual characters constantly swimming upstream. Ba…