Tag: Movie Review

REVIEW: Lights Out (2016)

Lights Out Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Lights Out by David F. Sandberg.

The first job of traditional, modern day horror films is to scare you. The very best horror films can have a paralyzing effect on you. They can frighten you so much that you don’t dare move out of your seat, look behind you, or look into a mirror to see what may be behind you.

Some of the most effective horror films are also very simple. The filmmakers take a very common fear or thought, and they manage to elevate your emotional response to things that maybe shouldn’t be as scary as they seem in daily moments.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Lights Out (2016)” →

REVIEW: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Promotional Poster - Paramount Pictures
Promotional Poster – Paramount Pictures

The following is a movie review of Star Trek Into Darkness. This review was written in 2016. Expect spoilers.

J. J. Abrams Star Trek from 2009 made me interested in the franchise. It made me a Star Trek-fan. I love the 2009 film so much that Star Trek Into Darkness was my most anticipated film of 2013. I was reading message boards every day. I watched the trailers over and over. I was so ready to love the film. But ultimately it didn’t really meet my expectations. However, that doesn’t mean I dislike the film. Not at all. Continue reading “REVIEW: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)” →

REVIEW: Rebirth (2016)

Poster – Netflix

The following is a quick review of Rebirth. Available on Netflix right now.

Rebirth is a new film distributed by Netflix. The film follows Kyle (played by Fran Kranz), a social media-manager for a bank, who one day, out of the blue, is contacted by an old friend (played by Adam Goldberg). This old friend introduces him to ‘rebirth,’ a life-changing experience that he wants Kyle to go through. Ultimately, Kyle decides to attend the weekend event, but he soon finds out that ‘rebirth’ isn’t as safe as he thought it would be.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Rebirth (2016)” →

REVIEW: 99 Homes (2015)

Theatrical Release Poster – Broad Green Pictures

The following is a quick review of 99 Homes, a Ramin Bahrani film.

Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes follows Dennis Nash (played by Andrew Garfield), a construction worker, who is supporting his mother (played by Laura Dern) and his own son. But soon after Dennis loses his job, he and his family are evicted from their home.

Rick Carver (played by Michael Shannon), a real estate operator, oversees the eviction, and one of his men end up taking a tool from Dennis’ house. When Dennis returns to retrieve it, Rick offers him a job, and soon Dennis, himself, starts to carry out evictions.
Continue reading “REVIEW: 99 Homes (2015)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Shotgun Stories (2007)

Theatrical Release Poster - Multicom Entertainment Group
Theatrical Release Poster – Multicom Entertainment Group

The following is a retro review of Shotgun Stories, a Jeff Nichols film.

Writer-director Jeff Nichols, who is about to have his breakthrough in 2016 with two major motion pictures (‘Midnight Special’ & ‘Loving’), has quietly been making a name for himself. 2011’s Take Shelter was very impressive, and his 2013-film, Mud, was one of the very best films of that year, in my opinion. But for today’s retro review, I’m looking back at his feature film debut: Shotgun Stories from 2007.
Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Shotgun Stories (2007)” →

RETRO REVIEW: Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a retro review of Ghostbusters 2 (1989).

In preparation for the release of Paul Feig’s new rebooted Ghostbusters, I’ve been rewatching the two original Ivan Reitman films. I’ve always liked the franchise and the characters, but I’ve never been a real Ghostbusters fanboy. Just the other day, I rewatched and reviewed the original Ghostbusters, which is still an amazing comedy. Now, I hadn’t actually seen Ghostbusters 2 in, maybe, around ten or eleven years. I couldn’t really remember it that well, and, when I sat down to watch the sequel today, I found out why: Ghostbusters 2 is a serious step down from the first film and, arguably, a thoroughly lackluster ghostly comedy by comparison.

Continue reading “RETRO REVIEW: Ghostbusters 2 (1989)” →

CLASSIC REVIEW: Ghostbusters (1984)

The Ghostbusters fighting Gozer in Ivan Reitman’s GHOSTBUSTERS — PHOTO: Columbia Pictures.

The following is a classic review of Ghostbusters (1984).

Ghostbusters takes place in New York City and follows a team of scientists who focus on the supernatural, who, after getting their team name out to the public, are contacted by a woman named Dana Barrett (played by Sigourney Weaver). Barrett reports of a monster or spirit in her refrigerator by the name of Zuul. One of the scientists, Dr. Peter Venkman (played by Bill Murray), takes lead on the investigation, but he is more interested in Dana than the case. 

Continue reading “CLASSIC REVIEW: Ghostbusters (1984)” →

REVIEW: Into the Forest (2016)

Theatrical Release Poster – A24

The following is a review of Into the Forest, a Patricia Rozema film.

Patricia Rozema’s Into the Forest, not to be confused with Rob Marshall’s Into the Woods or Jason Zada’s The Forest, had its premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, but wasn’t released theatrically in Canada and the United States until 2016. Just the other day, I saw it pop up on a Danish video on demand service, but the film didn’t quite live up to my expectations.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Into the Forest (2016)” →

CLASSIC REVIEW: Schindler’s List (1993)

Theatrical Release poster - Universal Pictures
Theatrical Release poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a classic review of Schindler’s List, a Steven Spielberg film. There are spoilers in this review.

Schindler’s List tells the story of how Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson), a German businessman, saved more than a thousand of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. This review will be a little bit different. I’ll review this film, by explaining why I didn’t see it until 2016. There are spoilers in this review, so I will not hold anything back.

One of the things I always wondered about, was why my father would never watch Schindler’s List with me. He has always been intrigued by films set during World War II, but for some unknown reason he would never watch it with me. He has always told me that he had seen it, but he has no interest in ever seeing it again. Continue reading “CLASSIC REVIEW: Schindler’s List (1993)” →

REVIEW: Spotlight (2015)

Spotlight poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Open Road Films

The following is a quick review of Spotlight, a Tom McCarthy film.

In late 2015, I made the decision to publish my top ten films of the year on New Year’s Eve. Sadly, that meant a number of films, which hadn’t been released in Denmark yet, were deemed ineligible for my top ten films of 2015-list. One of those films were Spotlight. By now, I’ve seen Spotlight three times, and it has made me reconsider its status as ineligible. Spotlight is an exceptional film, and one of the best of the year.   Continue reading “REVIEW: Spotlight (2015)” →