As a part of Comic-Con 2012, Entertainment Weekly has just released a fascinating piece of promotional advertising for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey depicting many of the film’s important scenes. The 48 frames per second debacle aside, I have to say this scroll certainly stands to reassure the wary viewers out there that at […]
Understanding Take Shelter
I really liked Take Shelter. As a drama it succeeded in building an emotional bridge between the audience and its characters, and as a thriller it kept the audience guessing about the sanity of its protagonist. The ending of Take Shelter is also well-crafted and multilayered, and is deftly executed by writer/director Jeff Nichols. However, this complexity also leads us […]
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson has a special place in my heart. Back in 2007, during one of the many times my mother sat me down to watch some obscure film she’d heard about, she popped in a film that sounded incredibly drab to my younger self entitled The Darjeeling Limited. To my surprise, ninety-one minutes later, a broad smile had crept […]
Prometheus with Søren and Ari
Here’s how our Dueling Reviews format works: each contributor writes an independent, abbreviated, spoiler-free review of the film. Then, the contributors come together in a podcast and discuss the movie in depth. Søren’s Review I will perhaps be deemed a heretic for what I am about to say, but here it is: I am not […]
Take Shelter
Back in 2011, a little film called Take Shelter made waves in the critical world. Starring Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire) and Jessica Chastain (The Help, Tree of Life), Take Shelter explores one man’s struggle with his responsibilities as a father and a husband. Amidst the drama, a helping of science fiction permeates the landscape and throughout the film, the […]
The Dictator
Coming into The Dictator, I had the very real fear that I was about to become witness to the demise of one of the best new comedic minds in film. Since his debut on Da Ali G Show, Sacha Baron Cohen has made a career of playing silly, over-the-top characters thrust into everyday life, but I and […]
Men in Black 3
It is not often that one has the privilege of reviewing a good second sequel to an almost 15-year-old franchise. At this point in the film industry, it is commonplace to become jaded with the onslaught of sequels, chalking the lack of new intellectual properties up to the cursed dearth of originality in Hollywood. And […]
Finding Nemo Is the Saddest Story Ever
When Finding Nemo was released in 2003, a ten-year-old version of me thought it was a wonderfully funny little film. Even back then I was always looking for things to complain about and I remember telling my mother that the movie had suffered because trailers had spoiled many of the best gags. However, I know […]
This Guy is Awesome
I love it when nerds do something creative with their time. So about a week ago, after seeing The Avengers, I found this awesome little clip online of some serious Iron Man cosplaying: It was brought to my attention that the guy who created the costume has in fact worked on recreating many of the other […]
The Avengers is Assembled Well-Enough
My friend Josh Rosenfield over on Popcorn Culture recently wrote a critique of The Avengers. While it was a well-written analysis, it was, shall we say, somewhat less favorable than I was with my review. I felt that the points I wanted to make into rebuttal to that post were too much for a comment, so I decided to […]
Batmobile Documentary Incoming
UPDATE: The Huffington Post has officially revealed The Batmobile, a documentary set to air on the CW on July 16 at 8pm EST. The special will premiere at Comic-Con on July 12. You may remember the above image from a post I wrote on Twitter and Facebook. At the time, it was unclear under what circumstances the photo […]
Superheroes Are Not In Decline
One of Roger Ebert’s “Far Flung Correspondents,” Michael Mirasol, recently wrote an article entitled The rise and decline of the superhero. It’s a very interesting and well-written piece, and even includes a video essay to accompany the text. However, I cannot say that my views totally gel with Mr. Mirasol’s assessments. I think it’s always […]
The Avengers
Well here we are – it’s May, and The Avengers, my second most anticipated movie of the year (out-shined only by the behemoth that is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), has finally been released. Under the direction of perhaps one of my favorite writer/directors, Joss Whedon, my expectations for the film were tempered only by some […]
Kung Fu Panda 2
I can safely say that I haven’t had as much fun watching a movie in a while as I did when I saw Kung Fu Panda 2. As a sequel to the much-lauded Kung Fu Panda, it succeeds on every front, and as a piece of cinema, it makes for a compelling, dramatic addition to […]
The Hobbit at 48 FPS
Update Peter Jackson has offered a short rebuttal to criticisms of the new format: “At first it’s unusual because you’ve never seen a movie like this before. It’s literally a new experience, but you know, that doesn’t last the entire experience of the film; not by any stretch, after 10 minutes or so. That’s a […]
Termite Terrace Trounces the Mouse House
Walt Disney Animation and the Warner Bros. Animation are longtime rivals who sported very different philosophies when it came animation. The stalwart, good heartedness of Disney’s shorts stood in contrast to the wild, nihilistic nature of Warner’s universe. Their respective facilities, business outlooks, and differing collections of talent and staff infrastructure all lent to two […]
The Cabin in the Woods with Søren and Ari
Here’s how our Dueling Reviews format works: each contributor writes an independent, abbreviated, spoiler-free review of the film. Then, the contributors come together in a podcast and discuss the movie in depth. Søren’s Review The first 5 minutes of The Cabin in the Woods is a perfectly written hybrid of idle dialogue, sudden shock, and scantily-clad females: […]
The Problem with Tomas Alfredson
I would be the first to call Tomas Alfredson a perfect director; someone who hits every possible emotional note in his films, whose impeccable timing offers the viewer a spectacular sense of pace and mood. So why, then, are reviews for his films still fairly mixed? Why, with a film as sound as Tinker Tailor […]
The Guard by Mike and Søren
This is our first official Movie Fail podcast review. In this segment, Søren and guest reviewer Mike look at John Michael McDonagh’s The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, and Mark Strong. Listen to the podcast below, or download it here. Mike’s Verdict: Movie Win Søren’s Verdict: Movie Win Score: 95% Update: This post spurred an interesting […]
Drive
Drive is Nicholas Winding Refn’s first return to a crime story since his final installment in the Pusher series, but the director winds up hewing to close to his own conventions to make truly compelling cinema. When I first sat down to watch Drive, I was not entirely sure what I what sort of film […]
Another Earth
On paper, Brit Marling’s Another Earth has an intriguing premise revolving around the possibility of another Earth-like planet suddenly appearing in our sky. This planet is easily within communication distance to our own home world, and the possibilities for a high-concept, low-budget sci-fi film seem endless. Sadly, the film merely implies a lot of squandered potential, a […]
The Case Against Episode I
This article is a direct response to “In Defense of Star Wars: Episode I” by Joey Esposito, which can be found here on IGN. I would like to thank Mr. Esposito for inspiring me to write this op-ed. Before I begin, I would like to make it clear that this op-ed is not an attack on […]
Monsters
Writer/director Gareth Edwards made a big splash in 2010 when he released his first feature-length film Monsters, which he reportedly made for a paltry $500,000. Working with a crew of just seven people that traveled by van around across five countries in only three weeks, Edwards had high ambitions – his mission was to create an authentic romantic […]
Mystery Team
I should start off this review by declaring my undying love for the comedy troupe that is Derrick. I have avidly followed all of their internet shorts, which are hysterical. I also caught, by chance, their impeccable last improv performance at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater in New York. As for their leader, Donald Glover, […]
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
I was very excited coming out of the movie theater when I saw the first Sherlock Holmes starring the nearly-always likable Robert Downey, Jr. (Holmes) and Jude Law (Watson). Sure, the movie suffered from a lack of plot direction and overall muddled storyline, but I very much enjoyed the style of the film. While it […]
Winnie the Pooh
Harkening back to the glory days of Disney, in the pre-3D animation era where hand-drawn artistry was revered above all else, comes Winnie the Pooh, a wonderful piece of nostalgic filmmaking that will delight the whole family. The first of many smart choices on Disney’s part came when they decided to maintain the style and […]
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the second film adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel by the same name. The film follows the story of investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), and how they get wrapped up in a tangled web of mystery relating to the dreadfully dysfunctional […]
The Artist
At this point, you’ve probably heard that The Artist is a beautifully conceived tribute to the era of silent filmmaking – but I would like to reiterate this fact because of how well writer/director Michael Hazanavicius pulled off this feat. Dealing with emotional themes like failure, change, loss, and growth, the period setting of The Artist allows for […]
Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol
Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol knows it is an unabashedly silly popcorn flick, and it is with that wherewithal that it pulls off its story and characters so ably. That is not to say the film is without its flaws; rest assured, the film makes more than a few missteps. However, while it is far […]
The Iron Giant
Brad Bird’s The Iron Giant mixes adult themes about over-encroaching governments and biting political commentary with humor, heart, and a true soul. To say this film is anything less than one of the preeminent animated films of our time is to do it injustice. I do not believe any movie has been able to so deftly […]
Søren’s Most Anticipated Films of 2012
Hugo
I must begin this review by dispelling one of the major misconceptions about this film: those of you who have been led to believe that Hugo is a “steampunk fantasy adventure” (as one friend described it) will be sorely disappointed. Hugo takes place almost exclusively inside a train station in Paris, France. Some amount of […]
A Dangerous Method
As tempting as it is, I will try and get through this entire review without making any bad puns. A name like Jung is just begging for it, but I shall resist. David Cronenberg’s newest film, A Dangerous Method, is an in intriguing portrait of two of the biggest names in psychology and the patient […]
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tomas Alfredson is an incredible director whose other internationally-acclaimed film, Let the Right One In, was easily one of the best movies of the last decade. Well, now he’s back and I am very pleased to say that his latest effort, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, easily matches up to his impressive debut. First and foremost comes […]
Iron Man
Iron Man stands in my mind as the greatest super hero film released thus far. With a phenomenal mix of fantastic acting, near-perfect special effects, humor, and story, this film simultaneously gave me hope that future Marvel movies might actually be good, and brought the wonderful Robert Downey, Jr. back into the limelight. As a […]
The Dark Knight
I cannot tell you how sorrowfully my hopes were dashed when I first saw The Dark Knight in theaters. Unfortunately, Nolan refuses to realize both the limitations of an audience’s attention span, and how much plot one can squeeze into one film. Christopher Nolan created what, as disparate elements, are absolutely amazing components of a […]
Søren’s Top Ten Favorite Films
At Movie Fail, we feel that it is important for every semi-serious filmgoer to have at least an idea of their top favorite movies. Why? Well, while a favorites list is purely subjective, it does help others better understand your film tastes. By isolating the cinema that you most enjoy watching or that you most […]
Up with Chad and Søren (Archive)
This is from the archives, back when Movie Fail was just two high school kids and a computer. In this piece, Chad and Søren discuss Pete Docter’s Up, starring Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai. Chad’s Verdict: Movie Win Søren’s Verdict: Movie Win Score: 90% Note: This review is not indicative of the format of future podcast reviews. Pre-2012 podcasts do […]
Watchmen with Tim and Søren (Archive)
This is from the archives, back when Movie Fail was just two high school kids and a computer. In this segment, we review the movie Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode. Tim’s Verdict: Movie Win Søren’s Verdict: Movie Win Score: 80% Note: This review is not indicative of the format of future […]
Quantum of Solace by Tim and Søren (Archive)
This is from the archives, back when Movie Fail was just a few high school kids and a computer. Tim Nicholson and Søren Hough tackle Quantum of Solace, the sequel to the much-revered reboot of the 007 franchise starring Daniel Craig. At the end, Tim and Søren summarize the movie with an evaluation of the […]
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