Adam is an out of shape, meek, and nerdy security guard for the local college museum and sticks out like a sore thumb until he comes across Evelyn who is taking pictures of a sculpture. After the requisite reluctant warnings and arguments he grudgingly asks her out and she accepts taking a keen interest in him. Their relationship soon begins to blossom and Evelyn begins taking an eager and somewhat odd fascination with Adam. But as they’re relationship grows more, his friends begin noticing his increasing change in appearance and soon is forced to decide between Evelyn or his best friends. Neil Labute (who penned the original play, wrote the script, and directed) is best known for his cynical works in films like “Your Friends and Neighbors” and “In the Company of Men”, but I’d never seen a film of his before.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
I’m not a fan of romantic comedies, and these days they all seem to have something in common and it’s something that was never present in the classic romantic comedies: these days romantic comedies are incredibly bland. As bland as bland can be, so it was no surprise I entered this film with lower than low expectations. But I managed to actually be surprised at how entertaining and enjoyable this was to watch in its first half. First off, I’m in love with Kate Hudson, so it wasn’t a completely difficult time watching her in this film, and I actually laughed here and there. Hudson and McConaughey pull in two hilarious performances as two people who are attempting to outdo each other.
They (2002)
After psychology student Julia witnesses her friend’s suicide, she begins to notice the signs of an unholy entity stalking her. Now as rolling blackouts plague New York, she begins to be stalked by creatures that live in the shadows, “They”, now as her friends begin disappearing, she must search for a way to stop “They”, but are they real or figments of her mind and trauma? Continue reading
After Hours (1985)
Street Pickup: Why don’t you just go home?
Paul Hackett: Pal, I’ve been asking myself that all night.
Everybody knows “Taxi Driver”, everybody knows “Goodfellas”, everybody knows “Cape Fear”, but a little known film from legendary director Martin Scorsese that film buffs rarely ever talk about is Scorsese’s vastly under-appreciated 1985 dark comedy “After Hours”. This intriguing, funny, and sometimes mind-blowing film takes place in the grim lonely streets of downtown Manhattan where a workaday word processor named Paul Hackett meets a young girl at a cafe. The two spark up a conversation and he calls her trying to set up a date with her. Seeking a change from the monotony of his everyday routine, Paul travels downtown for a late night rendezvous with Marcy (Rosanna Arquette), a shy beautiful girl who seems innocent enough. What starts off as a gentle tale ends up as a horrifying nightmare.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Taking place a couple of years after 2001’s box-office hit “The Fast and the Furious” minus Diesel and director Rob Cohen; After letting criminal Dominic Torreto go, ex-officer Brian O’Connor is now tangled in the gritty underworld of drag racing in which he’s now considered the best, but when he’s caught by police after a sting, he’s offered a chance at redemption to catch a vicious crime boss Carter Verone. He now teams up with his old friend Roman Pearce and the two must go undercover as Carter’s henchmen and prevent him from shipping drugs into Miami. I was not a fan of the original hit “The Fast and the Furious”, it was a tepid action flick with terrible performances and an almost unbearable plot that didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
The Punisher (2004)
Let those who enter this film remember, this is nothing like the film which was released in 1988. A film that was very loosely based on this comic book yet was only used as a cheap vehicle for the fading acting career of Dolph Lundgren. Don’t get the two mixed up; for that one was a mindless action cheese fest, this one is far more superior and intelligent. For those who have read my reviews and noticed my high reviews for the comic book movies, you’ll notice I’m a comic book fanatic. I read “The Punisher” comic books when I was a kid; they were very violent but they were damn good and fun to read, and I wasn’t surprised to discover that Marvel has scored another hit with this loyal adaptation that respects its audience and readers. Hear that DC Comics? Marvel respects its audience.
Before Sunrise (1995)
Two people from different parts of the world meet on a train and decide to tour Vienna for one night and witness everything the city has to offer while they bond with one another and fall in love, but as the night ends and the two become closer, will they separate come morning, or will they stay together? I’m officially considering myself a fan of Richard Linklater; this director/writer creates some of the most thought provoking films ever made, it’s hard to believe his films aren’t being released into the mainstream.