cult film freak: julianne moore

Showing posts with label julianne moore. Show all posts

Written by James M. Tate / 9/23/2022 / No comments / burt reynolds , don cheadle , heather graham , john c. reilly , julianne moore , mark wahlberg , nineties , paul thomas anderson , philip seymour hoffman , thomas jane

BURT REYNOLDS IN 'BOOGIE NIGHTS' STARRING MARK WAHLBERG

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQeDkkZXn6ENCiCorQMfu7jfAs3ZQ2xOUPbZODF1FbC3BTeP2j8uy9kOBgFy-mhU1B_1OXfX5NK9TGEUXr_fW-J63ISobUu2JJx42Ud0GeJctkzw4gLCyV6QW2MqC4iBD0uSBhVSupdpD4vpodoawobD3FyXY5sAmBJEVXGDl_MR0lZZzA1UH3Sb88Q/s1173/0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQeDkkZXn6ENCiCorQMfu7jfAs3ZQ2xOUPbZODF1FbC3BTeP2j8uy9kOBgFy-mhU1B_1OXfX5NK9TGEUXr_fW-J63ISobUu2JJx42Ud0GeJctkzw4gLCyV6QW2MqC4iBD0uSBhVSupdpD4vpodoawobD3FyXY5sAmBJEVXGDl_MR0lZZzA1UH3Sb88Q/s16000/0.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Burt Reynolds & Mark Wahlberg from BOOGIE NIGHTS Year: 1997 Rating: ****1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Basically the GOODFELLAS of the 1970's porn industry, Paul Thomas Anderson's BOOGIE NIGHTS mirrors Martin Scorsese's mob classic from similarities such as wall-to-wall groovy tunes to deliberate homages like an end-of-the-second-act death (Joe Pesci to William H. Macy) that leads to a morbidly cascading downfall of all remaining characters, suddenly thrust and exposed into the bright-lit 1980's...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Of course NIGHTS is a classic all its own — both the celebration of a porn star's life and a cautionary tale of the decadent lifestyle to get and remain there: with budding star Mark Wahlberg as porn climber Dirk Diggler... </p><p><span></span></p>

burt reynolds, don cheadle, heather graham, john c. reilly, julianne moore, mark wahlberg, nineties, paul thomas anderson, philip seymour hoffman, thomas jane

BURT REYNOLDS IN 'BOOGIE NIGHTS' STARRING MARK WAHLBERG

Burt Reynolds & Mark Wahlberg from BOOGIE NIGHTS Year: 1997 Rating: ****1/2 Basically the GOODFELLAS of the 1970's porn industry, Pa...

GEORGE CLOONEY DIRECTS MATT DAMON IN SUBURBICON

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzPJ_e3AOx6AycPp6epRFmlT1L9a67J2PFdvAv9fiThxwmz3oFDb77qk-bVLZl6TY2T-5K161ooOC9bBTrRTd59Is7lwctGyCfNuo64YxPiSCRRSI-4sCSNgXJ5vsVl84KfaqzPm4Z1eS/s1600/Suburbicon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="551" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzPJ_e3AOx6AycPp6epRFmlT1L9a67J2PFdvAv9fiThxwmz3oFDb77qk-bVLZl6TY2T-5K161ooOC9bBTrRTd59Is7lwctGyCfNuo64YxPiSCRRSI-4sCSNgXJ5vsVl84KfaqzPm4Z1eS/s400/Suburbicon.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>YEAR OF RELEASE: 2017</u></td></tr>
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It may have seemed logical before, but now there's genuine proof that a Coen Brothers movie has to be both written <i>and directed</i> by Joel and Ethan so that the dark comedy seems genuine, palpable, and not one bit contrived...<br>
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But their own personal Cary Grant in George Clooney, the star of a few less inspired installments after the bro's last true classic, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, has, as director and co-writer, made his very own "Coen Brothers" experience taking place in a 1950's Suburban community called, simply enough, SUBURBICON, a misleading paradise with postcard-perfect houses and manicured lawns belonging to one-dimensional neighbors, all of them white... Save for the black family that just moved in... a husband, wife and child suffering through chanting protests right outside their living room window, and for absolutely zero reason plot-wise except to further prove how hypnotically racist, soulless and Stepford-like Caucasians were back then (as if we hadn't learned by now, again and again and again)...<br>
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2017, coen brothers, crime, fifties-era, george clooney, julianne moore, matt damon, neo noir, new, oscar issac

GEORGE CLOONEY DIRECTS MATT DAMON IN SUBURBICON

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2017 It may have seemed logical before, but now there's genuine proof that a Coen Brothers movie has to be both wri...

JULIANNE MOORE IN STILL ALICE

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDLnaXhmXpmRIbR4IPSKWAxMsU8m9paqPCc__Jzx61vtr8ljl6_LrneGAJS5DrLiX88SdwHVX0QenpH4h2dsM9oRvn3OjT-VJZLxPFIt8NqOusRXUVi9HBei4Yr6TXctcWmfW7JZ3UQg/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDLnaXhmXpmRIbR4IPSKWAxMsU8m9paqPCc__Jzx61vtr8ljl6_LrneGAJS5DrLiX88SdwHVX0QenpH4h2dsM9oRvn3OjT-VJZLxPFIt8NqOusRXUVi9HBei4Yr6TXctcWmfW7JZ3UQg/s1600/Picture+1.png" width="92" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 rating: **</td></tr>
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There’s one genuinely funny moment in the extremely serious melodrama, STILL ALICE, when the title character, after having been diagnosed with a particularly harsh disease, is on the verge of arguing with her husband and, nipping the conversation in the bud, says bluntly, “I have Alzheimer’s.” <br />
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There are a few other times when Julianne Moore's Alice connects with her family, friends, and the audience while a softly-stroked piano chimes: one concerning an actual audience within a planned meeting of other patients...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCZ6yc1RVYUol1pkjYlXk7XpipUluXHS78j4IILNq_ZQoG_pEeLHG4d3_lP1hpkwV1tSs6KgABnk58ffm6quVKyeOi7rFhtQ6ZgcjZIDjjfzzHV6y5CRdtqavVcjj6Wsa6vejPhSpTuE/s1600/FFN_DefaultLightbox_51361629.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCZ6yc1RVYUol1pkjYlXk7XpipUluXHS78j4IILNq_ZQoG_pEeLHG4d3_lP1hpkwV1tSs6KgABnk58ffm6quVKyeOi7rFhtQ6ZgcjZIDjjfzzHV6y5CRdtqavVcjj6Wsa6vejPhSpTuE/s1600/FFN_DefaultLightbox_51361629.jpg" width="121" /></a>The speech given, aided by memory cards, is genuinely heartfelt, and Moore seems like a real person dealing with a serious issue, and doesn't overact. Once an educated lecturer, Alice relearns everything from scratch. Sadly, the rest of the movie doesn’t have that same level of entertainment value. <br />
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In any project that feels intentionally made to garner an award nomination and/or win (aka Oscar Bait), the performance will usually exceed the story: and there’s hardly any story at all. On the occasion ALICE ventures beyond Actor Workshop mode, struggling through otherwise common tasks... from jogging to finding a cell phone... Moore proves her worth just fine... <br />
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But the shared moments with her husband (Alec Baldwin, sounding more like an AM Jazz Deejay than ever) or nervy conversations with her black sheep daughter (Kristin Stewart) about a risky career in show business, feels like a Hallmark or Lifetime Channel production that is (and please don't think this is a bad taste pun) ultimately forgettable. <b>OVERALL RANK: Jedi, Rebel, <u>Droid, Sith</u></b>

2015, alec baldwin, disease, drama, julianne moore, kristen stewart

JULIANNE MOORE IN STILL ALICE

2015 rating: ** There’s one genuinely funny moment in the extremely serious melodrama, STILL ALICE, when the title character, after havi...

Written by James M. Tate / 2/08/2015 / No comments / 2015 , ben barnes , fantasy , jeff bridges , julianne moore

JEFF BRIDGES & BEN BARNES IN SEVENTH SON

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDNRvB9ceDbBKXIq-WFsbrBubd-hAtY3skL4EyBMeBUVdMA-BM8PgTMn-uQm1MmQBjRdaDwM9LTAtPCrky4g4Wiras5eRt7B28OdwC4qTPfJpU_e6a-v214YC97AjLGDoO8KyLGYFsmg/s1600/seventh2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDNRvB9ceDbBKXIq-WFsbrBubd-hAtY3skL4EyBMeBUVdMA-BM8PgTMn-uQm1MmQBjRdaDwM9LTAtPCrky4g4Wiras5eRt7B28OdwC4qTPfJpU_e6a-v214YC97AjLGDoO8KyLGYFsmg/s200/seventh2.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">2015 rating: ***</td></tr>
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Right off the bat we have two familiar Fantasy genre visions, and they’re one in the same: First a giant formidable eyeball that turns into a dragon... And if both THE HOBBIT and LORD OF THE RINGS weren’t enough, after we meet two intrepid tavern-dwelling warriors, one young and another old, there’s a little girl channeling evil straight from THE EXORCIST only her ailment has to do with being possessed by a Witch, not The Devil.<br />
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Backing up a bit… The young hero previously mentioned, under the tutelage of witch-hunting Master Gregory, doesn’t last long despite his potential. Jeff Bridges isn't a wise sage or a passive “Giver” this time around and yet, resilient with a sword as any man well under half his age, he still needs someone fresh and spry for training purposes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fXghGmfol8mRav6QogiOp4Ftbot3P4qPNHbs9fmPfA96oKs2SBuyag11JBYFsyMi9na8ZBIfZfscmmJxwUn8tXdjVWYddyFA1iVZOMUJXAOF6dHSINHSoPJQ6JXPL1j9e7IrNbyylwQ/s1600/seventh1.jpg" imageanchor="1" 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/AVvXsEg4fXghGmfol8mRav6QogiOp4Ftbot3P4qPNHbs9fmPfA96oKs2SBuyag11JBYFsyMi9na8ZBIfZfscmmJxwUn8tXdjVWYddyFA1iVZOMUJXAOF6dHSINHSoPJQ6JXPL1j9e7IrNbyylwQ/s200/seventh1.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Ray's Sinbad Inspiration</td></tr>
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Enter the new hope, a SEVENTH SON of a Seventh Son in this better-than-expected Medieval romp paying tribute to old school creature flicks ala Ray Harryhausen and even his childhood inspiration, KING KONG…<br />
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Without too much expository dialogue, each scene is linked by bombastic action sequence sporadically hindered by a would-be "cursed romance" between Ben Barnes’ Tom Ward and a lovely young witch girl. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges gets his first billing's worth. Since his monopoly blunts the potential training between the duo, perhaps more hands-on experience on the field was intentional over something that might seem too Merlin or Yoda.<br />
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Ironically, the biggest distraction is also the most important aspect: Julianne Moore as Mother Malkin, the shape-shifting lead villain that becomes a dragon during battle. Without her stagey input there would be no plot, sure. But the two leads could have fought a handful of witches and it wouldn’t have made any difference since it's the their job. And in a dark horse adventure that settles with comfortable mediocrity over epic grandeur, they do it pretty well. <b>OVERALL RANK: Jedi, <u>Rebel, Droid</u>, Sith.</b>

2015, ben barnes, fantasy, jeff bridges, julianne moore

JEFF BRIDGES & BEN BARNES IN SEVENTH SON

2015 rating: *** Right off the bat we have two familiar Fantasy genre visions, and they’re one in the same: First a giant formidable eye...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/21/2014 / No comments / 2014 , action , franchise , jennifer lawrence , julianne moore , philip seymour hoffman , sequel , war , woody harrelson

REVIEW OF THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQGmbmcblwdHKeXMpN2i5ZFsOjJ1-ywqv16u4dfBGt6fQq4iY300hwY8FJbu4KJxcHuNXbxG31Y1kKYXlonnYXY9uo5ccioYf4fcFM6_zrEwJVTIP5rHUogqOb-NXkvs_1Mgli_Q356E/s1600/hunger_games__mockingjay_part_1_movie_poster_by_triggerhappy039-d7iav0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" 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/AVvXsEjAQGmbmcblwdHKeXMpN2i5ZFsOjJ1-ywqv16u4dfBGt6fQq4iY300hwY8FJbu4KJxcHuNXbxG31Y1kKYXlonnYXY9uo5ccioYf4fcFM6_zrEwJVTIP5rHUogqOb-NXkvs_1Mgli_Q356E/s320/hunger_games__mockingjay_part_1_movie_poster_by_triggerhappy039-d7iav0c.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: ***1/2</td></tr>
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Once again, Woody Harrelson receives most of the giggles, but it was nice hearing the late Philip Seymour Hoffman get the first real laugh… <br />
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When Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen erupts with angry passion about her captive soulmate, Peeta... who spends most of the film <i>being</i> filmed far away from the underground compound where the rebellion resides... Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee points at Katniss and shouts something like “That’s it” with genuine heartfelt emotion: for now they’ve found the perfect commercial girl for propaganda…<br />
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Propos, for short, are broadcasts to inform districts that still aren't aware of President Snow’s villainy, thus catapulting the masses into hopeful revolution. To explain the backstory would be a waste of time: if you haven’t seen THE HUNGER GAMES or CATCHING FIRE, maybe you should. And despite being a means to an end, this is the most fulfilling episode for a reason...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr2cS1xb8XTg2ZypGZCXFKyIeahOh0OPi7szYztrdUTWw210r_DTWddcI6umNol4co1aJHUGQlhBi9SLJjYK_32HLT1yIMPlVglxKS_9k7OI5LGckAX_c-cEwJG_yCpbQioJ1OCX4q7w/s1600/mockingjay.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr2cS1xb8XTg2ZypGZCXFKyIeahOh0OPi7szYztrdUTWw210r_DTWddcI6umNol4co1aJHUGQlhBi9SLJjYK_32HLT1yIMPlVglxKS_9k7OI5LGckAX_c-cEwJG_yCpbQioJ1OCX4q7w/s1600/mockingjay.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A posthumous Hoffman</td></tr>
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From covert operations to code breaking to air raids to city ruins to dams being blown to bits, MOCKINGJAY PART 1 is a bonafide 100% good old fashion war movie. Taking a while to get rolling, the pace is intentionally slow until, as Katniss finds true motivation in battle, the action scenes occur but never without reason.  <br />
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Winning an Oscar isn’t the only proof of Jennifer Lawrence’s talent as an actress... The fact she pulls off being a terrible one during the first of several propos auditions is something that takes an experienced performer to achieve… Check out an intentionally monotone Julianne Moore in one BOOGIE NIGHTS scene and you’ll get the idea...<br />
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Speaking of whom, Moore is cast as the underground leader bringing the eclectic lot together. And the only real downer is exactly what the teenage target audience needs most… Romance!<br />
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During weepy moments where Katniss has second thoughts while brooding over Peeta, grownup viewers may wish they’d leave Romeo and Juliet for the last (upcoming) installment... Which, gladly enough, <i>is</i> the case here... And not without a strange last-minute twist that could blast PART 2 into melodrama overdrive. But that's another bridge to cross. Let's hope it doesn't go <i>too far!</i>

2014, action, franchise, jennifer lawrence, julianne moore, philip seymour hoffman, sequel, war, woody harrelson

REVIEW OF THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1

year: 2014 rating: ***1/2 Once again, Woody Harrelson receives most of the giggles, but it was nice hearing the late Philip Seymour Hoff...

Written by James M. Tate / 2/28/2014 / No comments / action , corey stoll , hijack , julianne moore , liam neeson , mystery , suspense , thriller

LIAM NEESON STARRING IN NON-STOP

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDiwYjeO7ZamEI6zjb4WM7GP2_epwF2tHTjOZbODFcHzPv-tZFe10-F2zN7rz5bKhl7eWVEnD7P-frjYzc3bmQQfH_DKbBl0hf6DK5fq7pFZifDjrYgtwYf5rk-1sFimSSqbFgz-92Tg/s1600/non-stop.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/AVvXsEhcDiwYjeO7ZamEI6zjb4WM7GP2_epwF2tHTjOZbODFcHzPv-tZFe10-F2zN7rz5bKhl7eWVEnD7P-frjYzc3bmQQfH_DKbBl0hf6DK5fq7pFZifDjrYgtwYf5rk-1sFimSSqbFgz-92Tg/s1600/non-stop.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #073763;">year: 2014 rating: ***1/2</span></b></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #073763;"><i>There’s an old movie about an airplane hijacking where the villain writes down a warning on the bathroom mirror, with lipstick… </i></span></b><br />
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Well things have surely progressed... Using modern technology, smart phones are faster than the eye, or two eyes: belonging to our flawed hero, Liam Neeson’s air marshal, Bill Marks, who from the very first frame of NON-STOP, as he gets out of his car at the airport with an expression of disgust hearing planes soaring overhead… We know right off the bat this is no happy camper, and flying isn’t his cup of tea...<br />
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So by the time the plane’s in the air, and Bill begins getting threatening texts from someone on board, he’s already so high-strung it won’t take much to make him look guilty as sin. That’s how most of the film plays out, with Marks seeming like a hijacker while people are stealthily picked-off… as warned by the mystery texter… and our man has double duty of finding the killer and clearing his own maligned reputation.<br />
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It’s risky giving away too much, especially in a movie promoted as a high-octane action thriller, the likes of DIE HARD, AIR FORCE ONE or even SNAKES ON A PLANE, when it’s more of a slowburn mystery – and Neeson isn’t the only cog in the wheel. After getting to know several characters, including Julianne Moore as a friendly passenger, a helpful techie and a scene-stealing New York cop (Corey Stoll), you’ll want the plane to land safely, and not only because of a frightened little girl who, as set up from the very beginning, is the person we’re supposed to invest all our hope in.<br />
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The only downtime occurs whenever Neeson’s Marks has to figure out the next step – some maneuvers are cleverer than others. And after a while the <i>falsely accused</i> device gets  tiresome. Thankfully there’s an 11th hour threat that takes us past the paranoia. On the other hand, it’s a relief we didn’t have to bite our nails the entire ride, because an intriguing, fleshed-out, character-driven mystery is always the best time-filler, and NON-STOP is never boring.

action, corey stoll, hijack, julianne moore, liam neeson, mystery, suspense, thriller

LIAM NEESON STARRING IN NON-STOP

year: 2014 rating: ***1/2 There’s an old movie about an airplane hijacking where the villain writes down a warning on the bathroom mirro...

Written by James M. Tate / 10/20/2013 / No comments / 2013 , chloë grace moretz , horror , judy greer , julianne moore , remake , stephen king

CARRIE REMAKE

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqrA1_KTqgsfalMfttwiKSZXDtARUt6ydsVkWJn2VHa53-qFpXEddvaiD1F3x1wjG9IZpznMvKVspkjKy1ZtgvvswaQICbTiAX5lkXaNgQmAl12GfkCZXB1yDxAU7h5wOptwRZJeh89g/s1600/carrie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqrA1_KTqgsfalMfttwiKSZXDtARUt6ydsVkWJn2VHa53-qFpXEddvaiD1F3x1wjG9IZpznMvKVspkjKy1ZtgvvswaQICbTiAX5lkXaNgQmAl12GfkCZXB1yDxAU7h5wOptwRZJeh89g/s640/carrie1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Judy Greer rating: *1/2</td></tr>
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Take away the telekinetic powers, the hyper-religious mother and a bucket of pig’s blood on the noggin, the original CARRIE, a suspenseful Stephen King adaptation directed by Brian De Palma, is really about a high school girl who doesn’t fit in. That fact is obvious just by looking at Sissy Spacek’s Carrie White, who seems as though she’s never belonged to any campus clique judging by her distant, dazed expression.<br />
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While Spacek was a natural beauty in earlier films like BADLANDS and PRIME CUT, she was turned into a homely outcast… But Chloë Grace Moretz doesn’t have any problem whatsoever: Lose the permanent scowl and she’s cuter than most of the girls, even the popular bullies… So it doesn’t quite work when sympathetic Sue Snell, played by an elfin Gabriella Wilde, talks boyfriend Tommy Ross into escorting Carrie to the prom. Sappy scenes bordering on awkward TWILIGHT romance gives the impression he's one lucky guy with two lovely girlfriends… But Carrie has a load of trouble at home in the form of crazy mom Margaret White....<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEJE7ib75FESm7NCsJg9y6rmIvjRAhavgGny5zzFc2yE49KUlrnGMUz6j_X6EDgEUuj2Ie4yff7oV7nGCa4N4p0X5WwU2z5BYVKtzh57febZqmd-na6FMkcdbFIBSuUaqhybZSIQumK4/s1600/carrie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEJE7ib75FESm7NCsJg9y6rmIvjRAhavgGny5zzFc2yE49KUlrnGMUz6j_X6EDgEUuj2Ie4yff7oV7nGCa4N4p0X5WwU2z5BYVKtzh57febZqmd-na6FMkcdbFIBSuUaqhybZSIQumK4/s640/carrie2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">"I'm the Prom Queen... How dare they turn me into a melted chocolate bunny... Burn! Burn!"</td></tr>
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Without further comparing this to the original, Julianne Moore, filling the famous Piper Laurie role, tries her over-the-top best with spooky long hair and an icy disposition, but acts more like a neurotic soccer mom in dire need of xanax than the main ingredient for her daughter’s deep rooted problems…<br />
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Enter Carrie’s freewheeling use of telekinesis… Her ability to easily manipulate elements, like a young Jedi or a Hogwarts pupil, makes you forget she's a troubled girl who can't control ominous powers. In one scene, as schoolbooks float jovially around her bedroom, you’d think she discovered a quick way of finishing chores or perhaps a time-filling substitute for not having a Facebook or Twitter account. <br />
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And then, once we arrive at the inevitable doomsday prom, when Carrie goes to town with hellishly lethal vengeance, you’ll wonder if this entire remake occurred just to witness a group of young people being slaughtered care-of computer-generated effects: If that’s the case, the maligned 90’s sequel THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 covered this unnecessary ground already.<br />
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2013, chloë grace moretz, horror, judy greer, julianne moore, remake, stephen king

CARRIE REMAKE

year: 2013 cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Judy Greer rating: *1/2 Take away the telekinetic powers, the hype...

Written by James M. Tate / 9/27/2013 / 1 Comment / 2013 , joseph gordon-levitt , julianne moore , romantic comedy , scarlett johansson , tony danza

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT IN DON JON

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Danza, Julianne Moore rating: ***</td></tr>
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In most movies, a slick, guiltless womanizer is usually the second banana. From SWINGERS to SIDEWAYS, the main character we can relate to is the gentle, passive guy who learns from the gigolo how to (or how not to) play the ladies… So be prepared for the dude who gets all the “action" to tell the whole story…<br />
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After scoring plenty in a noisy strobing nightclub, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s titular lady killer finds <i>the one</i> who puts the rest to shame… Although Jon, called DON JON since he’s kingpin in the bedroom, has something he likes better than random sex or this new hopeful conquest, and that’s porn.<br />
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Quickly edited scenes of various internet porn not only puts the audience into Jon’s busy brain, but provides director Levitt a creative way to show how we view things: No matter what you're into, thanks to high speed Internet, information is fast, flashy and perpetually omnipresent. But what happens when The Don’s not online?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A Tony Danza comeback... Why didn't Quentin Tarantino think of that? Did he see GOING APE?</td></tr>
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A game-changing relationship with the girl Jon considers a “dime” (perfect 10) is his only complication. Scarlett Johansson’s curvaceous Barbara tries her best to change Jon’s habits, and breaks ground where no other ladies have. First by meeting his family, which includes macho Italian Tony Danza, and then giving Jon forceful advice on how to live: from shopping to cleaning house, she has<i> all </i>the answers. But it turns out Barbara’s merely a distraction to an underlying “issue” that must be resolved…<br />
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The initially platonic relationship with night school older lady Ester (Julianne Moore) attempts to change Jon’s outlook for the good… and that’s subjective. The film’s sexually charged, potentially limitless, surprisingly insightful frolic – captured in vivid, frantic motion by a promising first time director – takes backseat to an attempted bittersweet romance that winds up crashing the party: Oh well, it was fun while it lasted…<br />
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2013, joseph gordon-levitt, julianne moore, romantic comedy, scarlett johansson, tony danza