"Olympus Has Fallen" is ripe with the patriot cheese of yesteryear's; namely the films of Chuck Norris. Though it's jarring to see such ideals projected on screen in the year 2013, this film makes the fatal flaw of actually taking itself seriously. Norris' films are still enjoyable (for the most part) till this day because they are campy, nostalgia-filled cartoons... "Olympus has Fallen" on the other hand already feels years past it's expiration date. To Director Fuqua's credit, there are some terrifically choreographed scenes of rampant action on display, and to be honest I was surprised at how relentless these scenes were. Too bad they are in this movie. If you turn your brain right off, you may enjoy the pyrotechnics... otherwise, catch it on cable sometime. It's bound to be a mainstay of scheduled "fourth of July" programming.

If it isn't as good as the original "Iron Man," it's close, so give it credit. "Iron Man 3" comes to us steeped in the baggage of "The Avengers" and the disappointing "Iron Man 2," but against all odds (and with Director Shane Black replacing Jon Favreau) the franchise and character feel alive and fresh again. Slick action, outstanding effects, great twist, and just the right amount of biting political satire cement "Iron Man 3" on a par with it's 2008 franchise kick starter, as well as the best entries in the Marvel film cannon.

Though I wasn't the biggest fan of Director Shane Carruth's indie sensation "PRIMER," it was an undeniably intriguing little head-trip that I admired for the tight, one of a kind experience offered by it's nimble budget and running time. Though it had it's annoyances and was inexplicably challenging, I went with it and enjoyed it quite a bit.

"UPSTREAM COLOR" forgets all of that and feels impenetrable for the sake of it; challenging without reward. I'm not even exaggerating that every aspect of this film, from it's grating soundtrack, abstract scenes, "inventive" camera angles, and laborious pace, have seemingly been initiated for the soul purpose of testing an audience's patience. Sure, like "PRIMER" it's bound to pick up a cult following on the basis of it's director and it's cryptic nature, but unlike that film I couldn't find much of a redeeming value here.

I didn't hate "UPSTREAM COLOR" because it's nonsense. Some of my favorite films (like the work of David Lynch for example) can only be explained via a trek through the inner psyches of their creators. I hated "UPSTREAM COLOR" because it's boring, lifeless nonsense. That happens to be the worst kind.