cult film freak: patricia clarkson

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Written by James M. Tate / 10/25/2015 / No comments / 2015 , franchise , giancarlo esposito , patricia clarkson , road movie , sequel , teen

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>year: 2015 cast: Dylan O'Brien, Patricia Clarkson, Giancarlo Esposito Director: Wes Ball</u></td></tr>
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It's difficult for adults to keep up with all these dystopian future teenage literary adaptations, from THE HUNGER GAMES to DIVERGENT to (the original) MAZE RUNNER, an action-packed version of what's usually a doomed-romance thriller. Following a chosen group of youngsters to run a dangerous course that very few can survive, what you see is what you get, including formidable robotic spiders. At the end, the kids wind up behind-the-scenes, sort of...<br />
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And now in this fairly decent, more intriguing and adventurous sequel, using the popular "learning something new every step of the way twist" element, if counting how many times the characters get painted in a corner and then escape at the very... last... second, you'd simply lose count. But what separates SCORCH TRIALS from THE MAZE RUNNER are the number of locations: Instead of just a grass field outside a collection of gigantic cement walls, there's an underground military fortress beneath a vast desert leading to distant mountains where, in-between, is a giant warehouse with gnarly human "creatures" reminiscent of those on a popular television series, a seedy rave, and other destinations – making this more of a journey than just plain exercise.<br />
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RATING: ***1/2<br />
REVIEW OF <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2014/09/maze-runner.html">THE MAZE RUNNER</a>

2015, franchise, giancarlo esposito, patricia clarkson, road movie, sequel, teen

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS

year: 2015 cast: Dylan O'Brien, Patricia Clarkson, Giancarlo Esposito Director: Wes Ball It's difficult for adults to keep up wi...

Written by James M. Tate / 9/25/2015 / No comments / 2015 , ben kingsley , drama , indie , patricia clarkson

GRANDMA & LEARNING TO DRIVE

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBO4JM_KBWVG5VV-jX5PVJ-YKyYRZ1fR0jZqer2kN6YmMaKRnuZd5Q0hTqwNf6i1a9eaifjA5jp3TVZylhMTmFua3hvvmE1ybinlIkMvbc8cVy7c667Bl1QBc94Tf5Cj2JsNs1lxHmA8/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-09-25+at+9.25.45+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBO4JM_KBWVG5VV-jX5PVJ-YKyYRZ1fR0jZqer2kN6YmMaKRnuZd5Q0hTqwNf6i1a9eaifjA5jp3TVZylhMTmFua3hvvmE1ybinlIkMvbc8cVy7c667Bl1QBc94Tf5Cj2JsNs1lxHmA8/s320/Screen+shot+2015-09-25+at+9.25.45+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015</td></tr>
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<b>GRANDMA:</b> As a lesbian has-been author, Lily Tomlin is a left wing Archie Bunker who, having broken up with a young trophy girlfriend, becomes the title character after her just-pregnant grand-daughter shows up, needing money for an abortion.<br />
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The nice aspect of this subtle indie road movie is how tight and basic the story is: our bickering polar opposites go from location to location, person to person (including an unrealistically heartbroken Sam Elliott), to gather funds for the operation, wherein the best scenes have the two main characters alone together, which, luckily for us, makes up most of the ride. The problem with GRANDMA is, beyond the young girl's somewhat stunted, underwhelming performance, the more progressively grouchy Tomlin must juggle blunt, obnoxious humor while keeping the always-cautious political correctness neatly intact: not an easy feat, but Lily kinda pulls it off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgj4awEQ4O40oqHcbYxnFmPkQZzYgJN3G6_twMRgELxFwzYJbFHTVlpHOsc3WwCAud7e8I-xK_m4DMwHelXY0yRSbwMsdFsiUAZoF79U4aeepr_bLmL7_0EjjwIHLgZYtfHj4eL7G608/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-09-25+at+9.26.05+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgj4awEQ4O40oqHcbYxnFmPkQZzYgJN3G6_twMRgELxFwzYJbFHTVlpHOsc3WwCAud7e8I-xK_m4DMwHelXY0yRSbwMsdFsiUAZoF79U4aeepr_bLmL7_0EjjwIHLgZYtfHj4eL7G608/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-09-25+at+9.26.05+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015</td></tr>
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<b>LEARNING TO DRIVE:</b> A feel good quirky indie with more than a shoved touch of wisdom and understanding of another culture while delving into "our own racist" American melting pot in the busy streets of New York where semi-famous book critic Wendy, played by Patricia Clarkson... equally intriguing as mainstream ingenue in DIRTY HARRY'S DEAD POOL or older-indie in THE STATION AGENT... plays first fiddle to Ben Kingsley's Sikh driving instructor: although his proverbial instrument is loudest, being the mentor and overall example of a good man, which is something, or rather, someone, our brainy aged-ingenue lacks and thus, reluctantly at first, needs help to carry her through a thankless, ranting purgatory.<br />
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Scenes with the two leads are far more interesting than when we delve into their own troubles, both having to do with significant others that aren't as helpful; his arranged marriage is awkward and her cheating ex-husband has no genuine chemistry to seem like anything ever worked in the first place. And while former Oscar winning Kingsley does a good enough job, his attempt at subtle humor sounds more like Robin William's imitation of GANDHI in the beginning of MRS. DOUBTFIRE.  In other words, Ben seems a bit overqualified for a vehicle that, good or bad or just kinda there, like GRANDMA, is one of those "rent on a boring day" flicks that delivers just enough to pass the time.<br />
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GRANDMA: **1/2<br />
LEARNING TO DRIVE: ***

2015, ben kingsley, drama, indie, patricia clarkson

GRANDMA & LEARNING TO DRIVE

year: 2015 GRANDMA: As a lesbian has-been author, Lily Tomlin is a left wing Archie Bunker who, having broken up with a young trophy gi...

Written by James M. Tate / 3/26/2012 / No comments / comedy , justin timberlake , mila kunis , patricia clarkson , woody harrelson

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5POI0Hoo_4_P6_gL8l2JDM2YhMT77LyvGH5EPjflLX8iZkpNuVALsORfH-FXPZl_kN6tdWhoueXMYnRmoTeXLPTQaOaFEh2_H2x0LlU7wAYeHS9TkuNzxNq2v_SmyOh5FreZItHOzdGO/s1600/kunis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5POI0Hoo_4_P6_gL8l2JDM2YhMT77LyvGH5EPjflLX8iZkpNuVALsORfH-FXPZl_kN6tdWhoueXMYnRmoTeXLPTQaOaFEh2_H2x0LlU7wAYeHS9TkuNzxNq2v_SmyOh5FreZItHOzdGO/s320/kunis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>title:</b> FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS<br />
<b>year:</b> 2011<br />
<b>cast:</b> Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis<br />
<b>rating:</b> ***<br />
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This movie does one thing successfully – and it’s mindboggling. Mila Kunis, as a young lady no one wants to commit to, will seem completely unattractive. Kunis plays a big city corporate “headhunter” dumped by a guy who, in real life, wouldn’t tie her shoes. She then hires Justin Timberlake into their big city firm. Their job doesn’t matter and both actors seem way too young for their occupations – much of the dialog sounds forced into the mouths of two actors better suited for a college-based TV show. But both try their best to make the premise believable: two beautiful people agree to remain friends with benefits i.e. they can have great sex but won’t be in an actual relationship. Of course they wind up falling for each other but there’s a lot happening before this inevitable conclusion – which is never fully realized. The scriptwriters try so hard to stray from the cookie-cutter rom-com template that there’s a movie within a movie (starring Jason Segel) that purposely basks in clichés, including manipulate sappy soundtrack and banal one-liners: making it clear to the characters and audience we’re breaking new ground. But are we? This premise has been done before, but Kunis and Timberlake have an essential chemistry to make their sexual escapades – and the morning-after banter sparking an inevitably tense kinship – feel fresh and involving. Patricia Clarkson adds the needed aged experience as Kunis’s quirky mom and Woody Harrelson’s turn as Timberlake’s gay pal basks in intentional scene-stealing dialog. But it’s Timberlake who, despite a whiny high-pitched voice not fully befitting the big screen, succeeds by convincing us that Kunis might not be a worthy long-term girlfriend – now that’s a feat.

comedy, justin timberlake, mila kunis, patricia clarkson, woody harrelson

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

title: FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS year: 2011 cast: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis rating: *** This movie does one thing successfully – an...

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)ROBBERY 3)HELL IS A CITY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)HOT CARS 7)VIOLENT SATURDAY 8)THE BREAK 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)CALCULATED RISK 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)JUNGLE STREET 17)WHITE HEAT 18)FALLEN ANGEL 19)A PRIZE OF ARMS 20)THE BIG HEAT 21)SHARKS' TREASURE 22)THE MARKED ONES 23)THE DRIVER 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)JOURNEY INTO FEAR 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)PAYROLL 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE FAVORITE ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)JACK NICHOLSON 6)CHARLES BRONSON 7)BURT REYNOLDS 8)WILLIAM LUCAS 9)TOM COURTENAY 10)GENE HACKMAN DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)SAM PECKINPAH 10)MICHAEL WINNER