Clint Eastwood’s newest master work is the near documentary “Invictus” a film that chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela in 1995 taking the reins as president of South Africa who hoped to bring his country together through the distant hope of winning the world cup. Through his mission he meets Francois Pienaar the captain of the country’s rugby team who is hitting a slump and is tasked with winning the cup. This view of Mandela is quite unique as Nelson Mandela is painted as someone who wasn’t interested in being liked. For most of the movie he is very much hated and is often viewed as a disgrace by foreign countries and his own people. All Mandela hoped in doing was unifying his people and stopping the war and violence at the expense of his own status quo. He defied orders and just wasn’t keen on giving up on humanity and his own people’s civilization.
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2008)
So I keep coming back to that same question over and over: Was “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” really all that bad, or were more Lucas retractors just exaggerating because they grew up and Spielberg’s story didn’t? And I keep coming back to that same answer: No. “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” really isn’t a bad movie; in fact it’s one of the better Indiana Jones entries I’ve seen that’s been grossly skewered by fans as the “Phantom Menace” of the Indiana Jones franchise, when really, it’s not bad. It’s actually quite good.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Remastered Deluxe Edition (DVD)
Linus: There are three things I’ve learned to never discuss with people: Religion, Politics, and the Great Pumpkin.
Easter has the bunny, Christmas has Santa, and Valentine has Cupid, so it would only make sense that Halloween would have its own mythical figure to bring great joy, wouldn’t it? According to Linus: yes. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” may not be one of the better Charlie Brown specials but it sure is a great celebration of not just the Autumn season, but of Halloween and what a little faith in the tradition can do to a young child; it’s also one of the better animation jobs from the recently deceased Bill Melendez. Linus believes in the Great Pumpkin a mysterious Halloween figure that brings presents on Halloween Night at the local pumpkin patch.
Iron Man: 2 Disc Ultimate Edition (DVD)
Come on even the most militant fan of “The Dark Knight” has to admit that at one point “Iron Man” completely stole the thunder from the marketing campaign Nolan and Warner Bros. steamrolled in to theaters and for a short while it looked like the sequel to “Batman Begins” was doomed to be an under performer. It was a brief window but surely enough Marvel took the steam from the Big Eared One. And why wouldn’t it? Marvel has done it again. Sitting down to watch “Iron Man” is an incredible experience and one that warrants at least three or more viewings for any fan of comic books. If you’re a hardcore comic book geek like I am, you’ll know that “Iron Man” had every chance to be a steaming pile because the character has always been a third rate joke in the Marvel Universe.
I Met The Walrus (2008)
John Lennon was calling for something big, he wanted something revolutionary to happen, something that would shake up the world and let the government realize that the people would not and could not be bullied in to war. He wanted peace, and as wholly naive as it may have seemed on the outside, it was a goal that was possible if we’d just try it out. It hurts to think that his words were in vain and that everything this man believed and taught went away in a hail of apathy, comfort, and luxury with technology and the man meant every single word.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
After the unfair lambasting of the disgustingly underrated and under appreciated “Hulk” from director Ang Lee, I found myself brutally conflicted on Louis Leterrier’s reboot (Remake? Revision? Restart?), because frankly, it was an apology to fans on a movie that didn’t need one. Lee tried something new, and was punished for it. Sure, Leterrier goes for the obvious, he goes for the simplistic, he shoots for the predictable, but that doesn’t mean “The Incredible Hulk” isn’t an entertaining movie. While I will be faithful to Ang Lee’s vision of the Hulk, Leterrier puts up a good argument for his version, too.
Inside (À l'intérieur) (2007)
I don’t think I can named a modern horror film that’s come so close to classic Giallo as “Inside” has, and I don’t think you’ll really want to if you didn’t like “Inside.” Frankly, it’s one of the most vicious and cringe inducing horror thrillers made in years, and the fact it wasn’t given even a limited theatrical release, fills me with a thousand frowns and dark sunsets. Having kids is tough. It’s financially trying, stressful, and traumatizing. Especially when there’s a psychotic unstoppable killer who wants to tear it out of your stomach. “Inside” is a vicious slasher flick from minute one where we meet Sarah who has just had a car crash pretty much almost killing her baby, and that’s only a small moment of the torture this unborn child experiences, when Sarah goes on vacation to mourn her dead husband.