Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)

jackbrooksJack Brooks: Fuck man, I broke a bottle over my head once because I couldn’t open it! I mean, you know… that doesn’t even make any sense!

People were way too quick to write “Jack Brooks” off as some sort of “Buffy” clone when in actuality director Knautz never actually strives to gear his film in that vein. I for one hate “Buffy” so I was very immediate in my defense of the film, and more so after watching it. Director John Knautz’s horror comedy has some epic possibilities with a character almost as cool as Ashley Williams, because even on its small budget and obviously modest production it’s shocking in its ability to involve the viewer with dark comedy that’s actually funny, and horror that’s about as good as anything else being released.

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Mamma Mia! (2008)

There’s not a better trio of respective dads than the likes of Stellan Skaarsgard, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, all of whom are quite entertaining in their hapless roles as men pulled in to a wedding of a girl that may be their long lost daughter. Probably the stand out is Pierce Brosnan who presents a great chemistry off of Meryl Streep as Sam, the man pushed away after a brief fling. These three are never afraid to get goofy in their performances and can handle the singing quite well when they need to. Amanda Seyfried is given a big responsibility to carry the role of Sophie, an idyllic dreamer who hopes to find her father bringing the entire scenario together and shines vocally and charismatically as this young girl who uses her wit to bring together this group of people to bring closure to her biggest question. Seyfried handles the role well and she’s a thrill to watch.

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

journey_toIf you’ve never read Jules Vernes’ original novel before, if you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing any of the film adaptations, then there’s a good chance you may enjoy “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” a family adventure film that’s just been released for the sake of cashing in on the 3D gimmick and dumbing down the entire story to where it’s really nothing but a ride. Just like a Universal studios attraction Eric Brevig’s film comes with an interactive device that allows you to sit through an experience that presents the a basic broad premise and wastes no time in plunging you in to a variety of awe inspiring sights and sounds that will make you “ooh” and “aah” and then do nothing more afterward.

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

I was never a big fan of Hellboy mainly because it was difficult to find. Here in the Bronx, any chances of ever reading it were futile. But I was a big fan of the original “Hellboy” movie as well as the two animated mid-quels that others found generally forgettable. The first film was Guillermo Del Toro playing Mike Mignola’s game, a veritable bevy of oddities and monsters confined to the modest budget of a studio who had very little faith on the power of this concept. “Hellboy II” however is Del Toro’s game, a movie that’s reliant on the imagination of Guillermo Del Toro who brought with him Oscar cred via the masterwork of “Pan’s Labyrinth.”

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Fuck (2005)

i6r9ugoh9apu9hpuOh man, do I love the word fuck. I use it and I use it all the time and though it can often sully my attempts to be taken seriously by a few individuals, I use the word fuck and all of its variations whenever and however I please. It’s practically a bodily function. And even my most foul mouthed friends have taken great pains in getting me to use it less frequently. People are very startled by the word Fuck, and no one knows why. What is it about this four letter word that sends people in to a fit? Why does the word fuck send even the most liberal people in to a series of gasps and furrowed brows?

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Hancock (2008)

hancock-posterWhether it makes money or not, “Hancock” will not be the next superhero franchise to break the bank, nor will it be as anticipated as the action figures from Marvel. “Hancock” has so much potential in the first half to focus on a superhero who is far from the people we get in theaters who happen to be upscale and of the Caucasian persuasion, but the turn in the second half is probably some of the most nonsensical pro-feminist propaganda I’ve ever seen, with the writers anxiously working toward taking an insignificant and uninteresting character and turning them in to someone who could contribute.

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Roger Dodger (2002)

See kids, this here’s what we call a thinking piece. It’s verbose, intelligent, evenly paced, and all kinds of brilliant, which is why I’m  glad it never got in to the hands of a commercial director, because with tweaking it could have been a very cheesy rip off of “Alfie” in the vein of “Hitch.” “Roger Dodger” is a character study about a womanizer whose principles are always of use to the aspiring lover of all women, while the individual is so sleazy and manipulative that he may soon find himself alone and without a person to love be they a wife or any other family near him. Though Dylan Kidd does demonize the man who approaches women with such disrespect, he also explores that the character Roger isn’t truly a lost cause to society.

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