|
——
|
Phil Spector (2013)
|
"Doesn't display any dramatic direction, but it has thespian verve and more than a few great scenes to help digest any inconsistencies and interruptions Mamet refuses to iron out."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
28%
|
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
|
"Chu would rather drain the film of color, downplay his only real moviemaking asset, and yes, bring back the dopey nanomite menace. This is not progress."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
9%
|
The Host (2013)
|
"The production seems genuinely fearful of turning this effort into anything more than a dewy tale of deliverance, with a side portion of hunks. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
40%
|
Mental (2013)
|
"Hilarious but a tonal bucking bronco, the effort is perhaps best reserved for viewers in the mood for a runaway mine cart viewing experience, willing to absorb all the chaos Hogan happily provides. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
70%
|
Wrong (2013)
|
"Wrong, despite its off-putting opening scene, carries itself in a bright, curious manner that encourages deeper investigation into Dolph's seriously messed-up week of misfortune. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
65%
|
Starbuck (2013)
|
"Huard carries a great deal of the comedy, making sure Starbuck has an accessible funny bone to go along with its engorged heart."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
38%
|
Family Weekend (2013)
|
"In need of a more judicious editor and a game plan to approach the steady erosion of marriage with a profound hit of honesty, not just a sitcom-style presentation of forced therapy. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
A Resurrection (2013)
|
"Duncan is the best thing about A Resurrection, brightening up the picture with the ten minutes of screen time he has, showing more comfort and range than anyone else in this dreary, cheapy effort."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
0%
|
InAPPropriate Comedy (2013)
|
"In the right hands and with a sharpness of wit, there's comedy gold in taboo-smashing material. InAPPropriate Comedy is overseen by the ShamWow Guy. You've been warned."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
66%
|
Spring Breakers (2013)
|
"It's a sleazy, snoozy, borderline insufferable motion picture. If you see the film, just know that you'll probably have to register as a sex offender afterwards."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
47%
|
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
|
"Olympus Has Fallen is one of the dumbest films I have ever seen. And I've watched all of Tyler Perry's movies. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
69%
|
The Croods (2013)
|
"Superbly constructed, dazzlingly animated, and genuinely hilarious, with a spirited mood of adventure and a pleasing read of maturation. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
52%
|
Hoffa (1992)
|
"DeVito is blasting away with the audacity of a film student, making Hoffa an effort of extraordinary detail, craftsmanship, and directorial ingenuity."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Judas Kiss (2010)
|
"Undone by half-baked characters and inconsistencies, keeping focus off the key elements of heartache Tepnapa and Pedraza hope will be strong enough to define the viewing experience. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
71%
|
Natural Selection (2012)
|
"Previously cornered in mousy or sarcastic roles, Harris is challenged by Natural Selection, bringing out the best in the actress, who I hope is offered more juicy dramatic opportunities like this. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
El Lince Perdido (Missing Lynx) (2008)
|
"It's a dispiriting picture that's content to coast on moldy formula and threadbare technical achievements to entertain. Your kids deserve better. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
43%
|
Admission (2013)
|
"It's certainly a pleasant picture, but far from the knuckleball wit and goofball wonder Fey is typically associated with. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
100%
|
The Waiting Room (2012)
|
"Grim but enlightening, perhaps required viewing for those who care to debate themselves blue about a crisis they'll never fully understand. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
93%
|
Barbara (2012)
|
"Isn't a tightly wound story of sacrifice, yet its distance is alluring, retaining secrets and motivations, building to a satisfying conclusion."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
80%
|
Eden (2013)
|
"There should be more to chew on with a story as horrific as this, yet writer/director Megan Griffiths isn't interested in the crucial details of decay, robbing the film of necessary motivations and a lasting welt of reality. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
13%
|
Love And Honor (2013)
|
"Love and Honor is capable of much more than predictable melodrama, though director Danny Mooney seems absolutely determined to ease this effort into a honeyed coma as quickly as possible. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
29%
|
Upside Down (2013)
|
"A stunning visual experience spoiled by a trainwreck of a screenplay...certainly something to see, but difficult to sit through."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
67%
|
Stoker (2013)
|
"Unpredictable and enchantingly outlandish, the movie is often extraordinarily composed. Perhaps it's far from perfect, but the atmosphere is deliciously thick with psychosis and the characters ideally unraveled. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
37%
|
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
|
"Storytelling only blocks access to the movie's funny bone, making viewers wait patiently for bursts of activity that reward immensely but are few and far between."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
40%
|
The Call (2013)
|
"Goes from passably engaging to insulting in a hurry, finding Anderson unable to make the sloppily cut puzzle pieces fit, relying on moldy trends in horror cinema to maintain pressure. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
96%
|
Blancanieves (2013)
|
"A humorous, heartbreaking return to old moviegoing habits, using fairy tale inspiration to emphasize heroes and villains while retaining a bittersweet quality that keeps the effort earthbound."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
81%
|
From Up On Poppy Hill (2013)
|
"Although they've dabbled in earthbound matters before, Studio Ghibli serves up a refreshing reminder of their singular animation gifts, offering a spare but endearing effort that's absolutely enchanting."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
79%
|
Ginger & Rosa (2013)
|
"Emotional and real, even when it takes a few soap opera detours, always returning to a place of scrambled teen introspection that's engaging and, in many ways, relatable. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
93%
|
Lore (2013)
|
"A burning portrait of consciousness and endurance, gracefully acted and strikingly realized, producing an honest sense of emotional disruption, while concluding on a powerful note of cultural and familial rejection."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
60%
|
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
|
"Raimi manages to return to this well-worn fantasy world and find new notes to play, while retaining his unmistakable filmmaking interests in dented valiance and spooky developments. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
31%
|
Emperor (2013)
|
"Romance is an unnecessary addition, but there's a lot more disappointment to come with this lackluster effort. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
66%
|
The We and the I (2013)
|
"Ambition only carries the viewing experience so far, as most of the effort is strangled by a persistent unpleasantness and Gondry's tone-deaf way with establishing sympathy for this public transit motley crew. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
95%
|
West of Memphis (2012)
|
"Isn't unnecessary, but it's often superfluous."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
92%
|
No (2013)
|
"Fascinating work from director Pablo Larrain and screenwriter Pedro Peirano, who manage to slip into the skin of a beleaguered country and detail the urgency of a revolution, sold one jingle at a time. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
37%
|
Dead Man Down (2013)
|
"Oplev loses control of tone and purpose to make things go boom, making it extremely difficult to recall the positive aspects of this unsteady, chunky thriller."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
50%
|
Into the White (2013)
|
"Generates a satisfactory amount of suspense and personality to achieve its limited goals, successfully spinning routine with welcome attention to character. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
53%
|
The Girl (2013)
|
"It's a spare film, but deeply felt and convincing, while bringing Cornish into a whole new light as an actress."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
25%
|
Phantom (2013)
|
"When it's focused, it comes together in satisfactory way, blending crew procedures with stratagem. When it loses its step, it's utterly forgettable, even with its submarine setting."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
13%
|
The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)
|
"The director wisely steps back and permits the agitation to sink in slowly -- it's a fright film that's uncharacteristically patient and superbly crafted. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
52%
|
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
|
"Ends up uneven and perhaps a tad underwhelming, but when Singer locks into the heat of the moment, capturing giant wrath and bean-powered growth fury, it's certainly a compelling fantasy picture."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
27%
|
21 And Over (2013)
|
"It's broad, naughty, and irresponsible, but never inspired, carefully coloring inside the lines, refusing the challenge of barnstorming blackout entertainment."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Hansel and Gretel Get Baked (2013)
|
"That a movie with this title and these recreational interests can remain compelling at all is a minor miracle, proving that a few drops of creativity and enthusiasm make all the difference in the world."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
46%
|
The Sweeney (2013)
|
"A serviceable feature good for a few cheap thrills. Just don't expect to be moved by dramatics viewed in hundreds of similar police pictures."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
65%
|
The Jeffrey Dahmer Files (2013)
|
"Thompson accepts quite a burden of informational responsibility, only to generate an aimless, tedious picture that's part documentary, part re-creation, and mostly unenlightening."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
10%
|
If I Were You (2012)
|
"A strangled endeavor that's 30 minutes too long and short-sheeted in the laugh department. Perhaps it was a blast to make, but to sit through the feature requires an extraordinary amount of patience. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
34%
|
Dark Skies (2013)
|
"Instead of a slow build, Dark Skies is more of a slow leak."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
58%
|
Snitch (2013)
|
"It's broad and brawny, dealing with a subject matter that requires a fine touch of intimacy and stillness. No amplification was necessary. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
14%
|
Small Apartments (2013)
|
"The material is too thin to truly inspire, showing more skill as a map of madness, populated with greasy, grimy types who inhabit our world, yet refuse to abandon their own."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
19%
|
Inescapable (2013)
|
"Doesn't have the juice normally associated with such violent entertainment. Its interest in characterization is admirable, but there's little firepower where it counts the most. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Vamp U (2013)
|
"Retains a modicum of spunk and a few smiles as it goes about its business of slapstick and bloodsuckery. Dial expectations way down, and perhaps writer/directors Matt Jespersen and Maclain Nelson will be able to entertain you."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
78%
——
——
85%
45%
40%
