I went to see Gravity knowing little more about the plot than what the trailer told me. I knew to go see it in 3D, as apparently it was one of very few movies that does 3D well. It was actually shot for it, instead of the 3D having been hastily tacked on to the finished product.… Read the rest
World War Z is based on a very interesting book with the same title, though the movie actually has nothing in common with its literary namesake except for that title. It stars producer/actor Brad Pitt as the savior of humanity. He springs into action when there is a lethal global outbreak.… Read the rest
The horribly-titled A Good Day to Die Hard, reintroduces us to John McClane as a grumpy old coot. Right at the start, he loses sympathy for setting into motion the problems he then needs to solve. Admittedly, seeing how the plot twists around, things would have turned out worse if he had not intervened, but that’s happenstance.… Read the rest
As a kid, I never really connected with the Avengers. They seemed to be too detached from reality, bigger than life. The stuff I liked was still fantastical, but a little more grounded and/or filled with angst: Spiderman, the X-Men, Batman.… Read the rest
The N-word. Should white people be able to use it or not? Of course, it’s all about who is using it and why. If I call a gay friend a ‘fag’, being of that persuasion myself, it’s not a big deal, but if someone yells ‘fag’ at me on the street, it carries a lot more negative weight.… Read the rest
Silver Linings Playbook is about two troubled people (one with a borderline personality, one an emotionally wobbly widow) who end up orbiting each other. Will they be able to help each other or even *gasp* fall for each other? No, seriously, take a guess.… Read the rest
Is it a good idea to take The Hobbit, a relatively simple story for children contained in a single, not especially thick book, and then to spin it into three epic, connecting movies? The answer from an economic perspective is, of course, “yes”.… Read the rest
