Let’s get this out of the way first: The Magnificent Seven is a remake of an iconic 1960 Western of the same name and featuring splendid performances from Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner, among others. And that film is itself a retelling of a classic Akira Kurosawa film called Seven Samurai, which is eminently watchable with a powerful lead performance by the great Toshiro Mifune. Each brings its own sensibility to the core story of a…Read More
Review: Night Moves
Eco-terrorists. Are they really terrorists, or are they passionate individuals fighting The System and The Man to make the world a better place? And if they’re not terrorists in the sense of Al Qaeda fundamentalists are, then is the difference their motives, their background, or their targets? That’s what Night Moves explores with its indie sensibility and superb – if underutilized – cast. Josh (Jesse Eisenberg) is an ex-Marine who is listlessly traveling through his…Read More
Review: Green Lantern
Just when I thought that the summer was going to be defined by a set of great tentpole films (I really liked both X-Men: First Class and Super 8) I sat through the dreck that is Green Lantern. Based on a storyline that is more suited for Saturday morning cartoons than a big screen production, the film had the awkward feel of a children’s made-for-TV animation that got redefined along the way to be a…Read More