cult film freak: charlize theron

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Written by James M. Tate / 7/28/2017 / No comments / 2017 , charlize theron , cold war , genre tarantino , james mcavoy , new , thriller

REVIEW OF ATOMIC BLONDE STARRING CHARLIZE THERON

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s26K6qpTQLrHJVfbnykNOQauQ2GjifoGJtPSKXJHCgNHE8SwJSQR0gOIkibicNgYeatonfeLeAtQy1pIpqSM6cyLpjuar5u1VgckAULe0IFkN-rxV5hFFWaudBIRtk-063yTTRLEsl4j/s1600/atomic-blonde-movie-poster-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="549" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s26K6qpTQLrHJVfbnykNOQauQ2GjifoGJtPSKXJHCgNHE8SwJSQR0gOIkibicNgYeatonfeLeAtQy1pIpqSM6cyLpjuar5u1VgckAULe0IFkN-rxV5hFFWaudBIRtk-063yTTRLEsl4j/s400/atomic-blonde-movie-poster-2.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Year Released: July of 2017 AtomicScore: **</u></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It seems rather uptight, and now very dated, even cliché, to use the term Gratuitous Violence. There are two kinds, though: When Violence is exaggerated for effect, or, as in the case of ATOMIC BLONDE, masking the fact that no real story's behind it... </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There<i> are</i> good things about this BLONDE. Great, actually, as in... looking. With Charlize Theron at the helm that's no surprise. The lesbian scenes are sexy and <i>very</i> welcome, and the music, like anything post-Tarantino, works to move the action forward in a pop culture blitz. Taking place at the tail-end of the late-1980's Cold War, hours before the Berlin Wall came down, Germany is full of neon combined with grainy Noir lighting within pulsating nightclubs and sun-exposed boulevards... </span><br>

2017, charlize theron, cold war, genre tarantino, james mcavoy, new, thriller

REVIEW OF ATOMIC BLONDE STARRING CHARLIZE THERON

Year Released: July of 2017 AtomicScore: ** It seems rather uptight, and now very dated, even cliché, to use the term Gratuitous Violenc...

GEORGE MILLER DIRECTS MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

2015, action, charlize theron, george miller, reboot, tom hardy

GEORGE MILLER DIRECTS MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

year: 2015 rating: *1/2 George Miller’s original MAD MAX films might have broken too much ground since every other barren landscape with...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/30/2014 / No comments / 2014 , charlize theron , comedy , liam neeson , matt clark , seth mcfarlane , western

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV1ClH8Q7d1ti2q61nJgJhE4p-8VhAqxfFfj9wV-JrhLk6WSwen5U9ME1bcxkYKpOQrDeVdg1dyfjNsAeMiwLNesIF-QCP2bqr1J-njHw67ubVEu3vFTwc4SKJ2dzJoVVomUEXmuhUb4/s1600/a_million_ways_to_die_in_the_west_1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV1ClH8Q7d1ti2q61nJgJhE4p-8VhAqxfFfj9wV-JrhLk6WSwen5U9ME1bcxkYKpOQrDeVdg1dyfjNsAeMiwLNesIF-QCP2bqr1J-njHw67ubVEu3vFTwc4SKJ2dzJoVVomUEXmuhUb4/s320/a_million_ways_to_die_in_the_west_1.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: ***</td></tr>
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When Seth MacFarlane’s cowardly sheepherder, Albert, confesses that he’s more like the guy in the crowd who pokes fun at the hero’s shirt than he is the hero, it’s a clever line… But as the actual in-the-flesh star of his first fully live action motion picture, we’re gonna have to judge the man’s shirt ourselves…<br />
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Seth gives great voice-overs but his on-screen acting style is more Jerry Seinfeld mellow than Woody Allen neurotic... Although, he tries his very best for the latter, rambling on and on about everything that bugs the living hell out of him. Meanwhile the side-characters, including Anna, played by Charlize Theron, and Liam Neeson’s dastardly outlaw Clinch, don't seem convinced they're in a comedy…Which isn't so bad since the performances in A MILLION WAYS TO DIE are laidback and natural, and Albert’s plight is involving: When his girlfriend dumps him for another guy, he prepares for a showdown but finds himself pitted against a much more lethal adversary, that being Neeson, the husband of his budding new love interest, Theron.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrVIdGuazsOmImoti8MidTY2zKkwe9pF31hY4Pvtus9DXqExDVqZbksHC5TFRah7o1cciSfq20ApEwzpAz_Ymwh7C8eDkXferQ5-ma6AMfrnGOH7Sgi0TvwSP3lmUOXhvm9tLmpOankY/s1600/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-seth-macfarlane-poster.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrVIdGuazsOmImoti8MidTY2zKkwe9pF31hY4Pvtus9DXqExDVqZbksHC5TFRah7o1cciSfq20ApEwzpAz_Ymwh7C8eDkXferQ5-ma6AMfrnGOH7Sgi0TvwSP3lmUOXhvm9tLmpOankY/s200/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-seth-macfarlane-poster.jpeg" width="137" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promo Poster</td></tr>
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While the title supports all the action-driven gags in the first half, mostly seen in the trailers... including a guy getting his head crushed by a block of ice... the funniest (and/or cleverest) lines are observations about the 1800’s: like how no one smiles in photographs and examples of old school racism.<br />
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These probably won’t evoke belly laughter like the sporadic bouts of "toilet humor" attempt to do, but each subtle quip provides McFarland a chance to philosophize in his own bold fashion, not letting any minority group or religious sect off the hook. <br />
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With gun fights, gorgeous exterior shots, an intentionally melodramatic soundtrack and a bevy of expository montage sequences, the movie plays out like a bonafide Cowboy picture with jokes on the side... And if you paid to see an actual story unfold, that's fine enough. But if you’re expecting TED or something drop dead hilarious like BLAZING SADDLES... best look somewhere else, pilgrim.

2014, charlize theron, comedy, liam neeson, matt clark, seth mcfarlane, western

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST

year: 2014 rating: *** When Seth MacFarlane’s cowardly sheepherder, Albert, confesses that he’s more like the guy in the crowd who pokes...

Written by James M. Tate / 3/16/2014 / No comments / 2012 , blockbuster , charlize theron , horror , michael fassbender , noomi repace , ridley scott , science-fiction , suspense , walter hill

RIDLEY SCOTT DIRECTS THE ALIEN-LINKED 'PROMETHEUS'

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98hyphenhyphen9o78NxPB41TYsis7qCBMKw80n_0p9nHeJLyx8t7dzW58JeCUMh5Ym8odXoKIAQG8dqBM1HPLE37hkk4jfsMjnEz_wzWjQyfpk2piRVHRFXQUjnHic3kBzoNnhVlDVTax94h0A6KA/s1600/prometheus_810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98hyphenhyphen9o78NxPB41TYsis7qCBMKw80n_0p9nHeJLyx8t7dzW58JeCUMh5Ym8odXoKIAQG8dqBM1HPLE37hkk4jfsMjnEz_wzWjQyfpk2piRVHRFXQUjnHic3kBzoNnhVlDVTax94h0A6KA/s400/prometheus_810.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2012 rating: ***1/2</td></tr>
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For several years it was rumored Ridley Scott was directing a prequel to ALIEN... Turned out to be a remake: A bulky spaceship full of scientists mixed with a working class crew; a crafty humanoid robot with a trick up his sleeve; a manly heroine – ring a bell?<br />
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Actually the story’s set in the ALIEN universe and the spaceship, rather than heading home, is destined for a planet with possible lifeforms.Two research scientists, including Dr. Shaw played by Noomi Repace, have discovered cave paintings with a similar theme – and a dying millionaire has backed their mission.<br />
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The ship's called PROMETHEUS and the important crew members include Michael Fassbender as David, the robot who models himself after Peter O'Toole's splendid take as Lawrence of Arabia, and Charlize Theron is the tough corporate head; you can say she's almost the captain...<br />
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Although Repace’s Shaw fills the Sigourney Weaver role, in one scene, Theron's character refuses a contaminated crewman back aboard the ship. The planet consists of a… or what seems like a… "giant cave" wherein illuminated wraiths roam while hidden slimy creatures provide the necessary body count...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPjLl0hCd-YLb8M4Fw0VvEnJwxHo7-d7Z5TH0vlhq3l2WAwVzWe-4ezPW1t5omgFi9_McQezFoWXBILyos1eGQ7LZnxr3EAp2vidDTjrEAy_9SKOdnrN48985haoOM7wPkszsZeyHJNk/s1600/promie.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPjLl0hCd-YLb8M4Fw0VvEnJwxHo7-d7Z5TH0vlhq3l2WAwVzWe-4ezPW1t5omgFi9_McQezFoWXBILyos1eGQ7LZnxr3EAp2vidDTjrEAy_9SKOdnrN48985haoOM7wPkszsZeyHJNk/s200/promie.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alien life?</td></tr>
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So there are a few action scenes and the special effects, particularly in 3D, look fantastic. But the problem are the characters, none standing out or likable enough for the audience to really care about their frantic survival which, after the searching has run its course, PROMETHEUS is all about.<br />
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In the acting department, Fassbender has a nifty look but lacks the sinister charm (or importance to move the plot) of Ian Holm, Repace only shines when she’s fighting to live, Theron is more robotic than Fassbender and the scruffy crew provide filler roles. Still though, somehow, the picture works but as a b-movie rather than the sort of epic blockbuster that was probably intended: Then again, sci-fi leaning writer/director's did grow up on pulp the likes of Weird Tales, etc., and perhaps subconsciously drive their multi-million dollar vessel in a more breezy direction, and, as most already figured by cult nerds going in: since Damon Lindelhof co-wrote the script, ultimately there are fewer answers than questions in a canvas stretched beyond its paint.. And though it would be a sin to give anything really important away, the big finale twist isn’t so much connected to the story itself, but the film’s... promotion. We’ll stop there.<br />
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2012, blockbuster, charlize theron, horror, michael fassbender, noomi repace, ridley scott, science-fiction, suspense, walter hill

RIDLEY SCOTT DIRECTS THE ALIEN-LINKED 'PROMETHEUS'

year: 2012 rating: ***1/2 For several years it was rumored Ridley Scott was directing a prequel to ALIEN... Turned out to be a remake: A...

Written by James M. Tate / 12/19/2011 / No comments / charlize theron , dark comedy , tens

YOUNG ADULT

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpZJhs7PMEvrsghwLanItzi0SpXo0SKhKAXYHChs6sSh2qFdjlWhZYisJ1oYnaWp0v5pmPXPyPlgtYMmoBTAbqe1dU_e3fg_6AqNPMZBJ-ecSeBsYKUbHMk1Z-Na-pU1ANWJ1lqEoNZqk/s1600/youngadult_jma.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688013425115060850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpZJhs7PMEvrsghwLanItzi0SpXo0SKhKAXYHChs6sSh2qFdjlWhZYisJ1oYnaWp0v5pmPXPyPlgtYMmoBTAbqe1dU_e3fg_6AqNPMZBJ-ecSeBsYKUbHMk1Z-Na-pU1ANWJ1lqEoNZqk/s400/youngadult_jma.jpg" style="float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 227px;" width="283" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title: </span>YOUNG ADULT<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">year:</span> 2011<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">cast:</span> Charlize Theron<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> *1/2<br />
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A selfish, beautiful, irate, desperate, greedy, cunning woman returns to her small town to snare her high school sweetheart Buddy Slade, who’s proudly married with a newborn baby. Charlize Theron is Mavis Gary, the hardened, boozing author of a young adult series with just enough bitterness to make for a fun anti-heroine. But when she meets a former schoolmate at a bar… an overweight geek who was beaten and crippled for being homosexual even though he wasn’t… the movie hits a wall way too soon. Although Patton Oswalt plays tubby underdog Matt Freehauf with sincerity, his character, in constantly warning Mavis about her plan to break up Buddy’s family, and then their comfortable drinking kinship thereafter, deletes any spontaneous edge she’d have otherwise. The intriguing plotline becomes a simplistic character-study of two polar opposites complaining about their lives – and the film goes nowhere. Even when Mavis makes her moves on Buddy Slade, who, played by Patrick Wilson, looks good but hardly has a pulse, it never seems she has anything to really gain or lose, nor is there a substantial motivation for her actions. Then the very ending, as dark comedy turns to uncomfortable melodrama when Mavis confronts – and is confronted by – Buddy's wife and her friends during an outdoor party, the film fizzles into nowhere: leading to one of the grossest sex scenes in cinematic history... followed by an early morning conversation that could have succeeded in a darkly humorous epilogue if only director Jason Reitman, or writer Diablo Cody, knew what kind of movie they were making in the first place.

charlize theron, dark comedy, tens

YOUNG ADULT

title: YOUNG ADULT year: 2011 cast: Charlize Theron rating: *1/2 A selfish, beautiful, irate, desperate, greedy, cunning woman retur...

Written by James M. Tate / 10/11/2010 / No comments / bill paxton , charlize theron , creature , nineties , remake

MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (REMAKE)

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNUMV2DSCtiOTxp7emJhqfZCJKrl_S_L62e6-4F2dDSdVmiSq0IOhoAvRfKswmsTecMjs5OEvBhZHIQuhArt2cLkxYP2m28qyDBtk24yU15L6Ks-SF2cDG0G8jYQG9EdVl170ZPf4qos/s1600/movie_mighty_joe2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526961616436071858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNUMV2DSCtiOTxp7emJhqfZCJKrl_S_L62e6-4F2dDSdVmiSq0IOhoAvRfKswmsTecMjs5OEvBhZHIQuhArt2cLkxYP2m28qyDBtk24yU15L6Ks-SF2cDG0G8jYQG9EdVl170ZPf4qos/s200/movie_mighty_joe2.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 158px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title: </span>MIGHTY JOE YOUNG<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">year: </span>1998<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">cast:</span> Charlize Theron, Bill Paxton, Naveen Andrews, David Paymer<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">rating: </span>***<br /><br />The problem with humanizing the titular ape isn't that it makes the movie sappy. Well it does but that's not the problem. The same thing occurred in Peter Jackson's remake of KING KONG: that if you take a creature, and make him too realistic, you lose some of the dynamic. If Mighty Joe Young, or Kong for that matter, are really just gorillas who happen to be larger than normal, it takes away the monster-driven bedlam that made both original films, each produced, directed and written by the same folks, so classic. This, as a remake, isn't that bad, and the special effects are above average: it's difficult to tell what's CGI or otherwise. Bill Paxton makes for a decent accidental hero, and Charlize Theron fills Terry Moore's shoes decently enough. But there needed more old school mindless action and less weepy backstory.

bill paxton, charlize theron, creature, nineties, remake