Tag Archives: Drama

5 Reasons Why You Should Buy “The Strain: Season One” and 5 Reasons Why You Should Pass

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Season One of “The Strain” is finally here, and after a pretty good run on FX in America, its mixed bag first season is ready for consumption. Perhaps it plays better as one fluid marathon, but as a week after week series, it garners a lot of filler, some really inconsistent direction, and a crew that can never be sure if they want to embrace the vampire formula, or ignore it altogether. “The Strain” is a fine horror series, just a very mixed bag that will frustrate as well as entertain. Here are 5 Reasons to Buy and 5 Reasons to Pass On Buying “The Strain” Season One.

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Remembering “Surface”: Sea Monsters, Dragons, and Lake Bell

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“Surface” is the definition of a series with a one note concept that would have worked much better as a mini-series when all is said and done. Around the mid-aughts, NBC television began working their way in to science fiction and began airing the quite ambitious “Surface.” During 2005, ABC’s “Lost” was taking America by storm and dominating pop culture with its mysterious storylines and baffling plot twists, so every network attempted to build their own franchise in the same vein. “Surface” is a valiant attempt with misguided writing.

And yes, I sat through the whole thing.

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The Rover (2014)

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If there’s anything more I love than post apocalyptic films, its post apocalyptic films with substance and meaning to them. “The Rover” is a slow boil drama thriller set in Australia where the continent has now economically collapsed. Set ten years after an apparent apocalypse, Australia is the Wild West where law is so corrupt that its citizens have zero respect for those in blue. Director David Michôd thrives on ambiguity by introducing a cast of characters with their own moral codes that conflict with everyone else’s. “The Rover” garners nothing but slime balls and the amoral, but that doesn’t stifle the utterly compelling storyline.

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Autumn Blood (2014) (DVD)

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There’s nothing worse than sitting through a movie to suddenly realize the director is wasting your time. “Autumn Blood” has a very interesting premise with great potential that oddly enough feels like a premise that could only warrant a one hour movie. So director Markus Blunder literally pads the run time a slew of montages involving picturesque looks at our character’s surroundings and their home life. The attempt is to counteract the horrific violence off of the gorgeous scenic landscapes, except it’s all plainly obvious that the story is paper thin and doesn’t present much moral quandaries.

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Northpole (2014) (DVD)

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Part one in an apparent movie series from Hallmark Entertainment, “Northpole” is a cute film about Christmas, and trying to preserve the happiness. Literally. It’s a simple and down to Earth movie that celebrates the more entertaining aspects of the holiday, while also building on a new hero in the form of elf Clementine. Bailee Madison is the definition of adorable as the rambunctious cherubic elf, desperately trying to keep the North Pole from dying what with the happiness of Christmas fading away in a sea of unfortunate cynicism. “North Pole” depends on Madison’s enthusiastic performance, and as always, she steals the movie. “North Pole” has its fair share of silliness, but it’s a fine Christmas movie with amusing quirks that I sat through with ease.

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Into the Storm (2014) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]

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If it’s at all possible, “Into the Storm” manages to out silly “Twister” by miles. It features a giant hurricane, absolutely valiant attempts to comment on global warming, and a fire tornado! A fire tornado trumps a flying cow any day of the week, sad to say. “Into the Storm” is a silly movie without a single compelling character, but when it stops trying to create drama it’s actually a lot of fun to sit through. From the great special effects, to the absolutely tense carnage inflicted by nature, “Into the Storm” is that kind of movie you could see Paul Newman and Red Buttons co-starring in 1979.

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Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997)

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I’m very glad to say that “Princess Mononoke” was my first real experience with Hayao Miyazaki’s amazing cinematic contributions. After its Oscar buzz in 1997, I sought out the film, and was shocked at what I’d been missing from the master director. “Princess Mononoke” is probably Miyazaki’s broadest film, but one that also conveys a meaningful alllegory about the sanctity of nature, and how the wars of men can taint the sacred lands. It’s an action packed and incredible morality tale that will win over fantasy buffs instantly. “Princess Mononoke” is set in the Muromachi Period of Japan where a local village is attacked by a vicious amorphous demon. The bow and arrow wielding warrior Ashitaka, comes to the rescue of the village, fending off the demon and defeating it after a horrific battle, but the demon manages to corrupt his body with its vile darkness.

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