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New Short Films

2011-06-28T23:58:00.005-04:00

Hello, readers. Yes, admittedly, almost all posting on this site has stopped. But we've been busy, and not just sitting around watching TV anymore. No, the days of being couch warriors are gone. And in place, we've been out making our own short films. Some, good and some bad. But as always, you be the judge.

Comments welcome.

Sad But True: A Modern Day Fairytale

I'm Sorry, But

Doppelganger

The Killing of a Bad Man

Movie Trailer: True Grit

2010-09-28T02:04:00.000-04:00

Can't wait.

Movie Trailer: Harrry Pottery and the Deathly Hollows Part 1

2010-09-23T15:30:00.001-04:00

Movie Review: The Town

2010-09-20T16:48:00.008-04:00

Based on the novel Prince of Theives, by Chuck Hogan, Ben Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a Charlestown armed robber who falls in love with a bank teller, played by Rebecca Hall, that was taken hostage by his crew. The problem of course is that he is a bank robber, and the perpetrator of the most horrific moment in Keesey’s life. And it doesn’t help things that die hard FBI agent Adam Frawley, played by Mad Men star Jon Hamm, is hot on Affleck’s trail.

This is Affleck’s second directorial outing, and it is right in line with the harsh tones of Gone Baby Gone. Everything in this film feels genuinely authentic as it helps to have a director who is strongly familiar with the geography and the demographic of the area that is the setting for the film. There are many crime dramas where the city and the geographic setting are another character of the film. The Town is also is one of those films and to top it off, the acting is superb.

By which, I mean actors are convincing and deliver performance that give the illusion of authenticity. Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, and Rebecca Hall all do a wonderful job at separating themselves from past characters, and also create new ones for this film. They are seen as the character and not as the actor. Chris Cooper is in only one scene of the film, and even in those short minutes he creates a character that we will remember until the very end. There are few scenes with Pete Postlethwaite as The Flouriest, and with each small moment the menace and subtle fury of the character is enthralling.

In large part I loved the film. The bank robbing and heist scenes are well staged and constructed. In the center of the film is a car chase scene down the narrow back alleys of Charlestown, during which my adrenaline was pumping and I was at the edge of my seat all the way to the films violent and bloody conclusion.

In comparisons to other heist films, this one isn’t the best. Some of the logistics of bank robbing or cop chasing is either faulty or missing altogether. This movie is smart, but is not as sophisticated as films like Heat, Thief, or The Score, but what film when compared with the best really holds up? Probably not many.

The Town is amazing, despite a few things that you’ll notice later after leaving the theater. I’m excited to think of the next twenty years or later, if Affleck continues directing films, because at the rate he is going, in twenty years, he could be the next Clint Eastwood in that everything he touches will be gold.

Grade: A-

Are you hungry?

2010-08-29T22:45:00.002-04:00

Fans of Heybuddyreviews.com are invited to a new blog from one half of the HBR team: http://www.hungryjerks.com/. At Hungry Jerks we're three guys from across the U.S. who love to eat, talk, and talk about what we're eating. We hope you'll stick with us as we continue our efforts to feed our appetites and find tasty new treats! Keep checking back with us as we post reviews of popular restaurants, our favorite recipes, and what we think of the latest fast food fads. So come check us out!

Movie Trailer: 127 Hours

2010-08-25T11:27:00.002-04:00

TV Preview: AMC's The Walking Dead

2010-08-24T13:31:00.002-04:00

I can't tell you how excited I am for this. Frank Darabont, director of such films as Shawshank Redemption and The Mist, brings the graphic novel to life, in AMC's The Walking Dead - premiering October 31st!

Movie Reviews: The Expendables

2010-08-20T18:41:00.008-04:00

Sly Stallone has come a long way. From nothing, to one of the biggest action stars of the 80’s and 90’s, then straight to DVD releases, and now back in the saddle again. His recent Balboa and Rambo outings have been nearly the best in their series and because so, I was eager to see another film directed by Sylvester Stallone.

As a critic, I could try to explain the plot a little and maybe even hint towards what the film is about. But to be honest, the plot is rather weak. There is a lengthy sub plot involving Eric Roberts and a 3rd world drug lord that drags on to almost no end, and with no purpose.

But in large part, neither myself or the audience that I saw the film with went to see The Expendables for it’s storyline. What we really went for was the ensemble cast of notorious action heroes and the return (for many of them) to the big screen. In which case, the film delivers. Stallone doesn’t hesitate to place himself alongside all the action legends of the last two decades. He even manages to set aside his ego and allows himself to lose a few fist fights. These are all the fun parts and for a nostalgia film it almost works on every level.

If you saw the latest Rambo film and gut laughed at the ending battle when Stallone slaughters around 50-60 armed soldiers with a .50 caliber machine gun, then you’ll certainly enjoy The Expendables. The finale is nothing but explosions of blood and fire.

However, if Stallone really sets out to bring back the action hero genre he’ll have to try a little harder. Again, the story is weak and certainly could be sharper. In the past I’ve criticized harshly the dialogue from the books and films of the Twilight series and it’s sad to say that The Expendables doesn’t do better. Though the screen image is fun to look at, the dialogue is rough on the ears. And on top of that the camera direction of the film does not reference anything from the 80’s and 90’s action genre. Directors such as Richard Donner and John McTiernan, whose action films flourished in previous two decades, directed with the camera very steadily and that was often on a dolly track, steady cam, or crane; directors like James Cameron and Christopher Nolan still use this method. But many of today’s action directors, most notably Paul Greengrass, like to place the camera almost too close to the heart of the action. In the final two Bourne films is seems as though Jason Bourne is literally grabbing the camera man and punching him in the head during each take.

There is something to be said about keeping the camera steady. About pulling the camera back and allowing the audience to see the environment in which the characters on screen have to work with. The action seems more heightened, more dangerous. Stallone’s film doesn’t reflect the action style of the previous decades and instead embrace the action style of Paul Greengrass. And because so, it suffers.

Will I be there to see The Expendables Part II on open night? Or course I will. I love mindless action films just as much as the next person. And for that this movie is a lot of fun, but is not much more after that.

Grade: B -

Movie Trailer: I'm Still Here

2010-08-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

Movie Trailer: The Next Three Days

2010-08-18T11:16:00.001-04:00

Movie Trailer: Black Swan

2010-08-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

Video Games: Batman Arkham City

2010-08-05T12:07:00.004-04:00

Holy shitballs, Batfans! File this one under REALLY EXCITING NEWS about 2011. Warner Bros. Interactive is finally revealing some images and tidbits as they move forward towards releasing Batman: Arkham City, the sequel to 2009's GOTY Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The sequel, in development by Rocksteady Studios, has players taking Batman into Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City's criminals. This new prison is described as a heavily fortified walled-prison in the heart of Gotham City.

The game will include story that "draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight," according to the press release.

Rumors are circulating that the main baddies will be Catwoman, Two-Face, & Mr. Freeze! Check out the alternate covers of the upcoming GameInformer magazine below!

Fable III Opening Cinematic

2010-08-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

Movie Trailer: Thor

2010-07-29T13:03:00.002-04:00

We don't have an embedded video but you can follow the thing.

Thor Comic-Con Trailer – Watch! | Pursuitist Luxury Blog, News & Reviews

Movie Trailer: Sucker Punch

2010-07-27T03:04:00.001-04:00

Movie Trailer: Tron: Legacy

2010-07-22T18:44:00.001-04:00

I'm in.

Movie Trailer: Stone

2010-07-22T13:47:00.002-04:00

Movie Review: Inception

2010-07-19T16:27:00.009-04:00

Let’s be honest, this summer is one of the most disappointing and lackluster summers in a long time. It seems as though the recession has finally hit Hollywood and they hardly have anything to offer. Many of the films are right around average if not below average status. Luckily, Christopher Nolan is here to save us and we all need to thank him for delivering Inception.

Nolan proves again that there is spot in cinema history waiting for him. Since his first ulta-low budget feature Following, Nolan has provided us with wonderful narrative that work best on the screen rather than on the page. Nolan is skilled in both drama and big blockbuster films. His Batman films are more than just costumed hero movies. They are real films that can be critiqued and discussed in the same manner that one would critique any film on the AFI’s 100 Greatest Movie list. Inception is no different.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a thief who can bring you into a dream world which his team creates so that he can steal your secret. It’s called Inception. Or is it? The film also stars Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, and Cillian Murphy. If you’ve seen the preview you can gather this much. However, the trailer is only a fraction of the detail and to it’s credit, the trailer is a labyrinth that only hints to the possibilities of what the story line really has to offer.

In reality, Inception is an amazing cinematic achievement. Nolan delivers a film that takes dream worlds and makes them feel real. This is not a film with flamboyant colors and highlights, such as Avatar or Alice in Wonderland. The world that Nolan creates feels real because it is a world that we can relate to.

If you’ve read more than one review by me, you’ve probably notice my biggest complaint is narrative structure. Inception is a film to study. The narrative is complex and imaginative and it doesn’t miss a beat. The characters are fleshed out. The situations, even in a dream, seem plausible. And the best part is, like his other films, Nolan abandons linear storytelling. The story is fragmented into small pieces and moments in time. At one moment the viewer is in the dream world, then the real world, and then inside a character’s memory or imagination. One of the most powerful aspects of cinema is it’s ability to transport though time and space fluidly in single second or a single cut of film. It’s power is hardly 3D. Theater on stage is already 3D. It is not CGI graphics, because most often the viewer is able to distinguish the real from the fake, and most films try to substitute computer generated graphic for interesting storylines.

Inception delivers the best aspect of what film has to offer. In the last hour of the film, Nolan relies heavily on parallel action and cross cutting to complete the narrative for Inception. Many films, like Star Wars have only three levels of parallel action that the film cuts between. The star ship battles in space, the Ewoks fighting Storm Troopers on Endor, and the lightsaber battle on the Death Star are examples of three parallel actions happening at the same time. In Inception, Noland creates five levels of parallel action all happening at the same time. The characters are asleep on an airplane, inside a falling van, trapped inside a hotel room, in combat on a snowy mountain base, and searching through deserted world created from Dicaprio’s dream, and all at the exact same moment. It is a mammoth achievement that may require multiple viewing. But once you’ve seen this film, you won’t mind seeing it again and again.

A person could continue on for hours discussing the various aspects for the film. Christopher Nolan is a true artist and filmmaker, and Inception is that film that we’ve been anticipating and waiting for.

Grade: A+

Video Games: Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions

2010-07-17T12:45:00.001-04:00

Check out this really awesome art work for the upcoming Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions game. If you don't know already, the game sees you playing the titular character through four separate "dimensions" in which you will control each of the alter-egos. As you can see from the box art, the player will have the opportunity to control four versions of Spider-Man, spanning the Earth-616 (the mainstream universe), Noir (Earth-7207) and Marvel 2099 (Earth-928) universes. The fourth universe will be officially revealed at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2010.

The plot of the game sees a mysterious artifact called the Tablet of Order and Chaos gets shattered into four pieces, creating problems with reality. A mystic within the Amazing Universe, who is confirmed to not be a current or former Sorcerer Supreme,[1] will tell Spider-Man how he can fix this, by going into three different dimensions (aside from his own), get help from the different Spider-Men in each dimension, and recover the tablet fragment in each.

The game will feature appearances from characters such as Kraven the Hunter, Noir versions of Hammerhead and Green Goblin, and 2099 versions of Hobgoblin and Scorpion

Movie Posters: SCREAM 4 (Pt. 2)

2010-07-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

A couple months ago I posted the teaser poster for the upcoming 4th entry to the SCREAM saga, and now here's a look at the awesomely exciting new poster for the film! As you can see, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette are all back. I can't wait! How excited are you??

Movie Trailer: The Town

2010-07-16T11:48:00.004-04:00

From the acclaimed director of Gone Baby Gone. Which songs a little funny being that it is Ben Affleck. However, Gone Baby Gone was done well. And personlly, this film looks amazing.

Movie Trailer: The Social Network

2010-07-16T10:50:00.001-04:00

Movie Trailer: Due Date

2010-07-16T00:34:00.003-04:00

I've been a fan of Todd Phillips's films since he first made Road Trip. I'm excited.

Movie Review: Predators

2010-07-12T18:23:00.010-04:00

Just when the thought of another Predator film was enough to make someone hurl (largely because of the two AVP films) Robert Rodriquez steps in to save the series from another mind numbing sequel. In Predators, directed by Nimrod Antal (Vacancy, Armored), a small group of strangers have been randomly selected and find themselves stranded inside an unfamiliar jungle. As you would suspect some get along, becoming allies, and others seem to have problems banding together. The one thing that they all have in common is that they’ve been selected specifically for a game. Something is lurching in the woods, the area seems unfamiliar, and as you can guess they are being hunted by Predators. Adrien Brody, plays Royce, a mercenary searching for a way, or anyway out alive. For the most part he leads to pack and the others follow. The rest of the film plays out as each member of the group is picked off by the Predators hidden in the jungle.

In comparison to the last three Predator outings, this is a great step in the right direction. AVP was so horrible that I skipped out on AVPR. And from what I have heard, I’m not missing much.

As great as it was to have another Predators film that has been done well, this movie has too many formulaic sci-fi/horror sequel moments. I can think of several films that start out with a small group of people who over the course to the film, slowly get killed off one by one. The last five Saw films are one set of examples. Films like these often have a week McGuffin’s that only sets the characters up, but never really follow them through the entire film. What happens then is the narrative of the film falls asleep and the rest of movie is just waiting for the next best creative kill that can happen.

Predators is an enjoyable film, and any fan of the Arnold original would agree so. As a throwback film, this movie is spot on and it is clear that the filmmakers did their homework. However, it’s almost too many throwbacks and too many homage’s paid to make for an imaginative outing. The last hour of the film is almost a carbon copy remake of the original. Nothing is added to the Predator characters that we haven’t already discovered before from the previous films and by the end I wonder, “What did we really learn?” The last Die Hard, Rocky and Rambo films have all added something to the story arc of it’s characters.

I’ve left some harsh criticism, but the film is still enjoyable and it’s a far better film than the previous Predator movies. But by the end I find myself wishing for just a little more than what the film had to offer. However, I did say that if the film had blood, gluts, and bullets that I would be happy.

Grade: B-

Movie Poster: Scott Pilgrim

2010-07-07T22:25:00.000-04:00

Check out this awesome new poster for the upcoming Scott Pilgrim flick! Click here to view an earlier poster, equally awesome!

While I'm at it, here's the latest theatrical trailer!