Bob Bloom Movie Reviews & Previews

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Bob Bloom

""When the legend becomes fact, print the legend" ? The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"

Agrees with the Tomatometer 81% of the time.

Biography:: I was born in New York and am a 1970 graduate of Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, was a bachelor's degree in journalism. I have been working at various newspapers since 1970 and have been writing about the entertainment industry and doing movie reviews since 1977. I am currently the movie critic at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind.
Favorites:: All-time favorites: Field of Dreams, Singin' in the Rain, City Lights, Casablanca, Adventures of Robin Hood, The Masked Marvel, Adventures of Captain Marvel, 1776, The Maltese Falcon, The Matrix, Jason and the Argonauts and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Publications:: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) , rec.arts.movies.reviews

Total Reviews:: 1428
Total QuickRatings:: 483

Location:: Lafayette, Ind.

Listing Of All Reviews & Articles

Showing 1 - 50 of 1428

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
2.5/4	53%	Safe House (2012)	" 'Safe House"'is an uber-testosterone feature with enough fire power, mano-to-mano combat and car crashes to keep you satisfied and awake." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Feb 10, 2012
3.5/4	90%	The Descendants (2011)	" (George) Clooney gives a complex and complete performance as a man who put his career ahead of his family, and is stumbling to try to reconnect to make his life whole again." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 26, 2012
3/4	78%	A Dangerous Method (2011)	" It is (Keira) Knightley who is the firebrand that grabs you and compels you to watch. Even during the times she is off the screen, she is in your head." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 26, 2012
2.5/4	32%	Man on a Ledge (2012)	" This is basically an audience participation movie in which you go along for the ride, knowing that everything will work out just fine; good will triumph and evil will get its comeuppance." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 26, 2012
3.5/4	96%	Pariah (2011)	" First-time writer-director Dee Rees has created a touching and commanding story about one young woman's hazardous journey through the trials and tribulations of adolescence, blooming sexuality and familial strife." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 19, 2012
3/4	45%	Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2012)	" "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is grim, but also uplifting as it defines how finally coming to grips with the inexplicable can be cathartic and how, though the person is gone, the memories always live on." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 19, 2012
2.5/4	54%	The Iron Lady (2012)	" (Meryl) Streep's performance elevates the movie, making it seem more important and profound than it is." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 15, 2012
2.5/4	48%	Contraband (2012)	" "Contraband" is basically a B-programmer enhanced by a strong cast and a solid storyline." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 12, 2012
3/4	71%	Carnage (2011)	" As you watch "Carnage" you begin to feel trapped. You want these diatribes to end, but your curiosity is so aroused that you can't wait to see the next escalation in these battles of words." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 12, 2012
3.5/4	84%	Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)	" No fancy gadgets, no big fights or gun battles are necessary. Instead, you witness whispered conversations, feelings of anxiety and paranoia and a cold, dreary, rainy world in which it is nearly impossible to discern whom to trust." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jan 6, 2012
4/4	97%	The Artist (2011)	" "The Artist" is a delightful treasure. It is a charming mixture of comedy, melodrama and romance that cinema lovers should make a point of experiencing." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Dec 23, 2011
3.5/4	75%	The Adventures of Tintin (2011)	" "Tintin" has a wholesome, old-fashioned feel that will entice and entertain children as well as adults." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Dec 22, 2011
3.5/4	76%	War Horse (2011)	" "War Horse" is sentimental, unflinching in its presentation of the brutality of war and heartfelt in its displays of bravery and loyalty." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Dec 22, 2011
3/4	87%	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)	" (Director David) Fincher and (screenwriter Steven) Zaillian have visualized a cold, dreary and ugly Sweden that draws you in against your better instincts" — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Dec 21, 2011
3/4	60%	Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)	" "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is an entertaining exercise that won't disappoint fans of The Great Detective or filmgoers in general." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Dec 16, 2011
4/4	94%	Hugo (2011)	" "Hugo" is a movie that children will enjoy, adults will admire and film buffs will cheer. It is a movie that will surprise and delight you with its wonder and awe." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Nov 26, 2011
4/4	96%	The Muppets (2011)	" "The Muppets" is a movie that will transport some adults back to their childhoods as well as entertain youngsters with its charm and humor." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Nov 23, 2011
3/4	59%	Die Another Day (2002)	— rec.arts.movies.reviews Posted Nov 18, 2011
1/4	25%	Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)	" One of the glummest, lifeless movies of the year, it is gray and bleak, even when the sun is shining." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Nov 17, 2011
4/4	92%	Take Shelter (2011)	" "Take Shelter" is one of the best movies of the year. In its own understated way, it also is one of the most frightening" — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Nov 11, 2011
2.5/4	68%	Tower Heist (2011)	" Tower Heist" is a fluff piece, an enjoyable date night flick during which you can ... enjoy 99 minutes of fantasizing about how you would procure the comeuppance of the person who ruined your future." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Nov 4, 2011
1.5/4	36%	The Thing (2011)	" For a movie about a group of scientists fighting for their lives, "The Thing" is totally mindless." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Oct 13, 2011
1/4	37%	Restless (2011)	" The only restless activity in this movie will derive from audience members squirming in their seats." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Oct 9, 2011
2.5/4	85%	The Ides of March (2011)	" I enjoyed "The Ides of March." It is polished, edgy and powerful. It's just that its underlying message that power corrupts and politics is messy is merely an echo of themes from earlier movies." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Oct 6, 2011
3/4	93%	50/50 (2011)	" Some people might take offense at the movie's tone. But it is that very attitude that sets "50/50" apart from your typical movie-of-the-week feature. It actually strengthens its appeal." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Sep 29, 2011
2/4	94%	Moneyball (2011)	" What is most maddening about "Moneyball" is that its Hall of Fame potential is squandered on crass sentimentality, a lack of focus and a exasperating refusal to take a hard look at the way the business of baseball is run today." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Sep 23, 2011
2.5/4	93%	Drive (2011)	" At times it is thrilling, while at other moments it is maddening. One thing, though, "Drive" is never dull." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Sep 16, 2011
4/4	100%	Citizen Kane (1941)	" There is no doubt that even 70 years after its release, "Kane" still retains the power to hold an audience as it follows the life and death of Charles Foster Kane." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Sep 11, 2011
3/4	84%	Contagion (2011)	" The movie plays as if the National Institutes of Health hired director Steven Soderbergh to direct a health warning public service announcement that would scare the heck out of everyone." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Sep 9, 2011
3.5/4	76%	The Help (2011)	" "The Help" is an unforgettable feature about a past that should rightly be remembered as a blight on this nation. It is a film that at times will make you flinch and squirm, but ultimately, make you applaud the courage of these remarkable women." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Aug 10, 2011
3.5/4	83%	Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)	" The real stars of the movie are the CGI artists who have brought Caesar and the other primates to life." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Aug 4, 2011
3.5/4	78%	Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)	" "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a smart comedy about people, their foibles and the enduring strength of relationships." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jul 29, 2011
3/4	44%	Cowboys & Aliens (2011)	" Cowboys & Aliens" is pure escapist enjoyment. It's a bit corny and retro, but somehow it works." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jul 29, 2011
3/4	79%	Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)	" "Captain America" fails to capitalize on the nostalgia of the character. Sure, cinematically he is treated respectfully, but it feels more like an obligation and chore rather than a labor of love." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jul 22, 2011
3.5/4	96%	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)	" "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" ends the series on a triumphant note. It is a memorable and moving conclusion that will leave you wishing for more." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jul 15, 2011
3.5/4	87%	Buck (2011)	" "Buck" is an extraordinary and fascinating story about an individual who believes you can accomplish more through simple kindness and understanding." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 30, 2011
2/4	34%	Larry Crowne (2011)	" The relationship between the two stars doesn't grow; it just seems to happen because it was written into the script. It feels contrived as if it was something that moviegoers would expect because the film stars Hanks and Roberts." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 30, 2011
2/4	39%	Cars 2 (2011)	" Cars 2" never seems to rev up to its full potential. At one hour and 53 minutes, it feels sluggish and padded. The film lacks spark and drive." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 24, 2011
1.5/4	27%	Green Lantern (2011)	" "Green Lantern" is badly paced, derivative and clunky. Its biggest sin is being joyless. The film just isn't fun." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 17, 2011
3.5/4	84%	The Tree of Life (2011)	" In "Tree of Life," (director Terrence) Malick offers no middle ground. Audiences will either embrace or despise it. They will think it is either deep and profound or pretentious and self-indulgent. And they would be correct - on all counts." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 11, 2011
4/4	82%	Super 8 (2011)	" What makes "Super 8" so good is that it is told from the viewpoint of the kids, whose emotional honesty bring a sense of reality to this fantasy thriller." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 10, 2011
3.5/4	87%	X-Men: First Class (2011)	" X-Men: First Class" is an intelligent action flick -- a strong summer offering that contains all the elements of a successful seasonal feature." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Jun 3, 2011
3.5/4	71%	Dumbstruck (2011)	" "Dumbstruck" will give you an appreciation in the effort and talent needed to be a ventriloquist. " — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted May 13, 2011
3/4	90%	Bridesmaids (2011)	" Overall, the movie is a winner that should propel Wiig to a big-time movie career." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted May 13, 2011
1/4	77%	Thor (2011)	" At times it seems Thor's hammer shows more personality than its owner." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted May 5, 2011
3/4	78%	Fast Five (2011)	" "Fast Five" is the perfect definition of a guilty-pleasure movie. In this film, what stunt drivers and stunt people do with their machines and bodies defy the laws of physics, nature and reason." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Apr 29, 2011
3.5/4	71%	Rio (2011)	" "Rio" is bright and bouncy and abetted by some strong vocal talent -- most notably, Jesse Eisenberg as Blu and Anne Hathaway as Jewel." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Apr 17, 2011
3.5/4	94%	Win Win (2011)	" "Win Win" is a very likable small movie. The characters and the situation feel authentic." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Apr 11, 2011
2/4	85%	Jane Eyre (2011)	" (The movie) lacks the larger-than-life emotional grandeur that the gothic romance is supposed to elicit." — Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Posted Apr 8, 2011

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