May | 2012 | Another Plot Device

Movie of the Day – Beverly Hills Cop

May 31, 2012 Leave a comment

Oh Eddie Murphy…what happened? I mean, honestly, what happened? I realize that the family friendly movie genre is keeping you well off financially, but man, your films used to be amazing. You were the edgy comedian that was charismatic on screen, able to chuckle and kick ass in some dynamite films. I try and remember those halcyon days of the 80s where you were the man and I looked forwarded to your “R” rated films cause my parents didn’t really care what we watched. Thanks mom and dad! Today, I try and remember the good old days, so today is a day for Beverly Hills Cop.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with 80's, action, beverly hills, beverly hills cop, buddy cop, cinema, comedy, cops, detective, eddie murphy, films, humor, movie reviews, movies, review

Movie of the Day – My Blue Heaven

May 30, 2012 Leave a comment

So enough with the killer robots, somber war films and general jackassery that goes on in my blog as today I am going with a mellow comedy. My Blue Heaven is another Steve Martin film that I am a big fan of, mainly because that man is just so damn likeable. Now yeah his most recent stuff isn’t the thing of legend, I mean who really consider “Cheaper by the Dozen: to be good? For me, give me 80′s and early 90′s Martin any day of the week and I will be a happy man. This film is a bit decisive, mainly cause people thought this was going be a laugh a minute comedy from Martin doing what he does best. For me, I enjoy this film cause it playful, light and honestly a top Steve Martin film in my eyes.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with cinema, comedy, film, films. reviews, humor, light, mob, mobster, movie review, my blue heaven, rick moranis, steve martin

Movie of the Day – Westworld

May 29, 2012 2 Comments

Man, how come Westworld doesn’t exist? A world in which you can live out your fantasy that just happens to be inhabited by robots. I guess it is like Fantasy Island, but you know, with robots, which are cool. Well it was a cool idea in theory until Westworld showed us that robots can become the sentient killing machines they truly are, so it kind of ruined the fun of going to a nerdtastic Fantasy Island. I got to admit though, Westworld is a pretty interesting science fiction about rich people going to live our their fantasies and shoot robots for fun and then having the very robots go ape shit on them. Also Yul Brenner is a bad ass bald cowboy robot.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with action, androids, cinema, ethics, fantasy, films, gunslinger, movie review, movies, reviews, robots, sci-fi, science fiction, violence, western

Movie of the Day – The Messenger (2009)

May 28, 2012 4 Comments

On this Memorial Day, I know it is weirdly customary for some reason to watch war movies. Now I am all for a good war film, but watching a film like Platoon or Saving Private Ryan on a day when we are honoring veterans doesn’t seem a bit kosher to me. Maybe it’s just me, but that is how I feel. So if you were to watch a film about war or about people who served in war times, I think today’s film pick is an unsung film that captures the emotional impact and somber effect about those who have served and what their service means to family or loved ones. The Messenger is a film that looks at the other side of war, the one where people don’t come back from their war to their families and friends, instead the news is broken to them all by the words of servicemen tasked with the most difficult job of all.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with ben foster, cinema, combat, drama, family, film, iraq, memorial day, movie review, the messenger. movies, violence, war, woody harrelson

Movie of the Day – A Dirty Carnival

May 27, 2012 Leave a comment

Through my time of watching countless movies, you can get a little bit of tunnel vision so to speak. Genres tend to run together, particular films look like the other and you can get a bit burned out of watching movies again and again. Variety is the only thing that can break you out of the slump of blurred film lines, hopefully punching up a particular genre to get you excited about watching another zombie film or superhero movie. One genre in particular that I can’t only watch a few of before it gets stale are Gangster films. If you have seen one gritty, gangster film, you have probably seen them all. But the same could be said for any genre, so take it for what you will. Thankfully though, there are gangster films that don’t follow the same formula of the underling making his way to the top or the typical mafia don commanding the loyalty his group to rule for generations. Take the Infernal Affairs trilogy for example, it managed to offer and thrilling take on the mob genre by looking at both the law side of taking down mobs and the side in which the mob deals with law enforcements efforts to stop them. So I decided on a little International flavor this time around with a look at the Korean gangster film, A Dirty Carnival.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with action, cinema, films, foreign film, gangster, mob, mobster, movie review, movies, south korea, violence

Movie of the Day – Vampire’s Kiss

May 26, 2012 Leave a comment

I love watching Nic Cage lose his shit while acting. There is this pure, manic, unbridled insanity that comes through his acting when he doesn’t have any restraints placed on him. Sure, he has his hits and misses, but even his misses are pure magic, the kind that would get you put to death in 1800′s for being possessed. While I could do a top list on the best Cage freakouts on screen (Ed Note: it will happen soon), I decided I just want to do a quick post over one movie that pretty much encapsulates the essence of cage. The movie today is Vampire’s Kiss and if you have never seen this movie, you are in for something spectacular.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with cinema, comedy, film, humor, insane, movie review, movies, nicolas cage, vampires, vampires kiss

Movie of the Day – The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

May 25, 2012 2 Comments

This movie makes me so happy. The Adventure of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, or Buckaroo Banzai for short, is the science fiction satire film that has become a cult hit after an initially disastrous theatrical release. A film that is a hybrid of numerous genres, but never mocks the sources it uses to its advantage. Buckaroo Banzai is the sort of off the wall comedic adventure that I love with all my heart, kind of like the odd friend of a group that nestles their way into the cohesive structure of our lives. But even with the odd flair for the dramatics and one long in-joke of a film, Buckaroo Banzai remains one of my favorite genre mashup films.

Prepare yourselves for a long synopsis cause to be honest, with all the wacky adventures and cross stories that run along with the film, I am not even certain where the story even goes. The adventure though is worth the ride.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with action, adventure, aliens, buckaroo banzai, cinema, comedy, films, humor, movie review, movies, peter weller, reviews, sci-fi, science fiction, space, time travel

Movie of the Day – Nil by Mouth

May 24, 2012 Leave a comment

Can we all agree that Gary Oldman is badass and remarkable actor. I mean he has been on an amazing kick these past several years with memorable roles and even going further back into his filmography with the over the top villains and heroes that make this man a joy to watch on screen. While I should be talking about film that he has a prominent role in for today’s post and early praising I did, I want to concentrate on something that few people have probably seen or even heard of. Back in 1997, Gary Oldman wrote and directed a film that ended up on Britain’s Top 100 British Films of all time. It has won numerous awards and BAFTA’s galore, but it was the only film that he has directed or written, never coming back behind the camera.

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Filed under Movies Tagged with britain, British, cinema, demons, drama, family, films, gary oldman, london, movie review, movies, nil by mouth, ray winstone, reviews, violence

50/50: Ridley Scott

May 23, 2012 2 Comments

So with my excitement for Prometheus reaching a fever pitch as the ominous date June 8th inches closer and closer, I decided to do a new article series for directors, with me ranking their 5 best and 5 worst movies. All my opinion mind you, but I like the idea of analyzing the best of what he has done to the worse of what he has put out. Now I realize that this is subjective and to that I say, “My Blog, My Rules”. So if you feel slighted that White Squall didn’t make the cut, spoiler…it didn’t, then feel free to voice your criticism. It was hard enough to pick just 5 winners and 5 losers, but I think I did a good enough job picking a variety of films that span the entirety of his career. So below is a mixed list of winners and loser, more so the compliment sandwich of presenting a winner and then a loser and then another winner. It lessens the disappointment.

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Filed under Articles Tagged with action, alien, best films, blade runner, cinema, films, lists, movies, prometheus, ranking, ridley scott, robin hood, russel crowe, science fiction, top 5, worst films

Movie of the Day – This Is England

May 23, 2012 Leave a comment

If you remember my review on the film, The Iron Lady, you’ll realize how much I loathed a film that failed to truly capture the essence of the polarizing politician of England during a time when unemployment was high, war was happening and rioting was increasing. It saddened me to see such a character and opportunity to show the effects of her ruling did to the country of England, possibly framing her in a different, accurate light instead of the frail, dementia laden woman she was at the closing of the film. You never truly got a sense to understand what life was like under her tutelage as Prime Minister, but I guess it wouldn’t have been kind to begin with. So in 2006, Director Shane Meadows created a film that captures his life in a semi-autobiographical way to showcase a micro-cosom of those that were living through a rough time in England’s growth. It was the era of Thatcher’s rule and This Is England was a portrait of a group of youth skinheads trying to find and hold on to their identity when the future itself was bleak and uncertain.

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