Love Is A Temple

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Prophecy (2/5)

Walken certainly carries a few scenes with his mercurial charisma, but the nuanced theological background and flaccid supporting cast bog things down. It is also quite lethal to have your protagonist/detective stumbling about for information the audience has long since discovered.

Filed under: 2 stars, review

Sunshine (4/5)

A stunning swathe of set pieces and a favorite score (much of it by the lads in Underworld), coupled with a decent storyline and capable cast. The reveal and payoff in the last reel, while superbly shot, are a bit predictable and leave me wanting Alien. And call me American, but instead of burning the last two astronauts to death how about a safe return to Earth and eighteen months of copious spacesex. I smell a sequel Danny boy: Sunshine 2 (NC-17).

Filed under: 4 stars, review

Good Night, And Good Luck (3/5)

Fine production and an educational look into the McCarthy years’ paranoia. Hardly as engrossing or complex as Mann’s ‘The Insider’, which trumps this picture in every category.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Balls Out: Gary The Tennis Coach (2/5)

The title gives one all the mental prep and expectation necessary to make it through ninety minutes of soda pop. Seann William Scott is perfectly cast and delivers the sub-frat-level pranks in spades. The bit we had to rewind for a second round of laughing: Scott advising his supposedly closet gay student to enjoy the senior prom as a straight cause he has “plenty of time to suck cock when he gets to college”. My friends and I were mostly sober for this affair.

Filed under: 2 stars, review

Pineapple Express (2/5)

More witless Apatow fare that is certainly better served with a dose of the chronic it is shelling out. Blech.

Filed under: 2 stars, review

Frantic (3/5)

A slow burning European mystery that could have used a bit more action and payoff for my tastes. Ford has dipped into the shit-script bin once too often lately and this picture was a sad reminder of his sublimely generous works back in the day. Polanski’s directing is balanced and clean.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Slumdog Millionaire (3/5)

I left the theater in good spirits and then read a handful of criticisms which I now mostly agree with. Good, but not Best Picture good.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Taken (3/5)

A cuddlier, friendlier version of ‘Man On Fire’; much less provocative and near-zero character development. The feel good revenge-for-sex-trading-my-daughter movie of the year.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

Cloverfield (4/5)

Quick and fun; great concept and great execution. When I see an obscure cast such as this pull off dynamic scenes and characters I get rather annoyed with all the Hollywood darlings propped up in miserable and bloated films or the feckless Indie/Christian films that feature no-talent talent.

Filed under: 4 stars, review

Flags Of Our Fathers (3/5)

A competent telling of an unforgettable moment in US history; and then a forgettable film in nearly every way.

Filed under: 3 stars, review

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Urban Hymnal

Website for the performing arts group I co-direct.

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