Sinister

In Sinister, Ethan Hawk plays a writer who has found his niche writing about unsolved crimes. The research for his current book leads his family to a new house. And to facts he isn't quite ready to deal with. He also finds comonalities to other unsolved crimes as a result; leading him to believe that this will be his most successful book yet. That is, until he starts getting that feeling that something is off. I guess moving into a house where a quadruple homicide took place could have that kind of an affect on you.

The research begins to take him down a path he knows nothing of. Nor is he prepared to deal with. It just goes to show, non-belief in something won't protect you from it. On top of making you question what you do or don't believe in. Sinister will make you look at every picture you own a little closer. As well as keep a closer eye on your kids.

Sinister was not only fun to watch but you feel yourself being pulled into the story. If something so eerie could be considered fun. An added level of depth is reached in Sinister by poking some fun at itself. This is usually done by giving a realistic voice of reason to a Character in the film.  Until recently its been a given that in Horror films you have to dispense with certain rationales to increase belief in the world of the film.  Certain things were either a given or foregranted.  You had to remember that going in. This is one tide turning in film. One, if not the only benefit of adding some reality into beloved fiction.

So why go see this movie?

Because it was awesome! Eerie, creepy. Way more than a good time! It doesn't matter what you call it. All that matters is that you go see SINISTER

LOOPER

Looper is the new sci-fi, action film from Dir. Rian Johnson. Starring Bruce Willis & Joseph Gordon Levitt as old and young Joe, respectively. In Looper, time travel hasn't been invented yet. But 30 years in the future it will have been.  Controlled by the mob time travel is used to "get rid of" people.  So when they need somebody to "disappear" they send them to the past. To a predetermined place and time to a waiting Looper. Who promptly pulls the trigger on his trusty Blunder-buss, collects his payment (in the form of silver) from the back of his mark. Incenerates the body then goes on about his day.

Sounds pretty sweet right? Well wait for the catch. The only downside is the retirement plan. To earn your retirement you have to kill yourself. Your future self. The mob doesn't like loose ends. Therefore one day (no looper knows when) your silver payday will be a golden one. The gold represents your last job. Yourself.  This means you just earned your retirement.

The next thirty years doing whatever contents your heart. Until the day they come for you to send you back in time to be killed by your... (younger) self.

Now if that wasn't enough to fry your brain. Strap up b/c you're going to love the rest of this ride.  On top of the action, in addition to the thought provoking temporal storyline. This movie is deep.  Joseph Gordon Levitt is a man searching for something to live for; on top of trying to find himself.  Bruce Willis is a man fighting to save a woman he will never see again. Even though they play the same character, they are two eentirely different people. The beautiful duality of the story enters as each man is on his chosen path. They each become more like the other.

If I were going to pick a nit. l would say, it could of had more action. But it wasnt even needed. The Characters and the story are more than entertaining. [Side-note]: Once you get to the farm.... That little boy is off the hook!

Why should you go see Looper? Because hands down it is the best movie Ive seen yet in 2012! The moral of the story is also multifaceted.

Its never too late to change.

The Amazing Spider-Man

This Tue July third. Our beloved Spider-Man franchise is getting (because of SpiderMAN 3) a much needed reboot. Starring Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone, I was surprised to see Martin Sheen & Sally Fields portraying Peter's legal guardians; Uncle Ben and Aunt May.This is not the Peter Parker of yester-year. Spidey's got a brand new bag. One of the revamps to be appreciated is the more accurate portrayal of Peter Parker.


Petey is a smart kid. But he doesn't know everything.  And even though he wasn't built like an athlete or anything, he still wasn't a punk.  And Spider-man is a super Hero, but at the same time he was still human.  He limps. He bruises.  So that was definitely an interesting. I can't count how many times I've asked myself about a Hero. Having super skin.  This ain't Superman we're discussing.  When you get hit, why wouldn't you get a black eye for it?

One theme that remains unchanged is RESPONSIBILITY.  Toby's rendition included the line "With great -power, comes great responsibility".  In this update its more of an underlying theme throughout the whole picture. Which starts out because Peter is a teenager, therefore he's irresponsible.  But later translates into  he accidently creates the Lizard. So he has the responsibility if righting that wrong.  Not that he wanted to take matters into his own hands.  He even went to the cops in hopes they could handle it. Of course they couldn't. Big surprise.  And guess who was there to save the day.  Hint: No it wasn't Mighty Mouse.

Why go see this movie? Its Effn all that!  A brand new spider.  With a whole new attitude.  He's agile, nimble. And he MADE HIS WEB-SHOOTERS!  In case the last incarnation misled you.  Spider-man has NEVER generated webs out of his body/wrists.  That was not accurate.  He home-made web-shooters, which take replaceable web cartridges. But I digress.  I already can't wait for the sequel.

Go see Spider-Man

The Raid: Redemption

This was an entertaining film.  Worth going to see, AND paying for!  A squad of police officers have orders to raid an apartment building, in an attempt to arrest its Druglord owner.  On the 14 floors between the officers and the kingpin's top floor penthouse apt; the building is filled with goons, muscle, look-outs and the dealers themselves. It's a kung-fu movie, but it's also current.  More precisely it's Gun-fu.

So why see this movie?

The action.  Enough people got molly-whooped so distinctively that you must see them die!  If a movie doesn't have at least one death that blows your mind, the action fails. It is predictable.  From the rip you know that these guy are gonna be betrayed.  If they haven't already.  Some of the fight choreography begins to get stale, but its still worth the ticket price. I would definitely say go and see The Raid: Redemption.

SAFE HOUSE

Safe House is the newest release hitting Theaters today Feb 10th. Starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Renolds.  It's a spy movie where you don't know who's trying to kill you or necessarily why. Where by the time you figure it out, it may already be too late.

Denzel, who is a traitor, turns himself over to authorities in the midst of being pursued for his latest bit of Intel going to auction to the highest bidder. Before his extradition to the US, he is held at a safe house for, let's call it "aggressive questioning". 

Ryan Reynolds plays the custodian of the safehouse. Termmed a "House Keeper". He's on his first assignment for the agency and has spent 12 months watching a house with no guests. Begging for a promotion, Reynolds desperately wants to prove himself to his superiors. Today he finally gets his chance.

During questioning the safehouse is breached and attacked. The team that has brought in Washington has been killed.  And Reynolds is the only thing standing between his house guest and a bullet in the head.

Safe House is a fun action flick that will remind you exactly why Denzel is the man.  The fight choreography is bone breaking. The car chases are Earth shattering. And the DP's use of shadow definitely gives you a clear idea about how dark these characters are!  Safe House gets two thumbs up! Definitely worth the cost of admission.