Welcome to Adventures in Poor Taste’s weekly movie review roundup. I’ll be posting a slathering of movie reviews each week to give folks a healthy helping of what’s good and not so good. New and old, the reviews cover anything from the pleasantly innocent Winnie the Pooh to the disturbingly twisted Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom.
Season of the Witch (January 2011)
Since National Treasure, Nicolas Cage is contractually obligated to hold a torch in every film.
Cage doesn’t go full Nic Cage and only creeps you out thrice. The movie is creepy enough for a Halloween watch, but it’s not scary. It does have a lot of atmosphere and is a fun movie to watch on a lazy Sunday. See if you can pick out the three creep outs!
Grade: C+
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (April 2011)
The meta-ness is amazing. He’s selling out, but since it’s a documentary he’s not, but the documentary is being paid for by the marketing…so who’s really being the dupe? Not as good as Super-Size Me but close. It probably could have been wrapped up in less time, but heck they gotta fill seats, right?
Grade: B+
Red State (September 2011)
The idea is good, and the first twenty minutes build to something, then the horror turns to a Waco political statement. Definitely doesn’t feel like a Kevin Smith film. Decent final ten minutes though. Is a good 30 minutes in an 88 minute movie worth it? The whole thing feels more like a marketing ploy than a completed movie.
Grade: C
The Myth of the American Sleepover (January 2011)
Not to be confused with the Myth of the Victoria Secret sleepover.
This movie focuses on the little moments in a few teenagers’ lives attempting to capture lightning in a bottle and make these moments feel genuine. None of it is overhyped, which is a good thing, and the acting is good coming from the all-unknown cast. That said, not a lot happens, and I didn’t find all the moments were all that genuine. It might dazzle some, but not me.
Grade: C
Another Earth (July 2011)
Handles grief, loss and guilt very well. A very interesting science fiction twist when it comes to the frailty of human beings.
Grade: B+
Bill Cunningham New York (March 2011)
A real treat as you get a first-hand look at a man who’s made his life work photographing fashion. That, of course, comes with its positives, but also crosses to bear.
Grade: A-
Margin Call (October 2011)
The movie really goes bonkers when Spock death grips the recession.
It’s a movie about the cause of the recession, but it keeps things interesting because it doesn’t focus on a single act…instead it shows how the risk traders think and what most likely happened. The movie also clearly shows the corporate office politic and feels realistic, like a moment in time. If you’re confused by the recession this a great way to understand why it happened.
Grade: A-
The Trip (June 2011)
A decent little comedy, but it’s more for someone a fan of the actors than a fan of comedy. If you like these semi-famous British comedians give it a go.
Grade: C
Limitless (March 2011)
Good: Allusions to bad drug habits even with a “perfect” drug. Good cast and two good acts.
Bad: Cheats with the plot and rules set up in the film with a weak ending, has a ton of plot holes and lazy character writing.
Grade: B-
Submarine (June 2011)
Submarine acts as a prequel to next summer’s big action flick Battleship, only it’s missing aliens, Rihanna, action scenes, special effects, Transformers rip-off bad guys, a big budget, American actors and actual Battleships.
This is your typical “teenagers are depressed and they don’t know why” film. The Harold and Maude vibe is genuine and great, with a wave of energy that putters out and loses the weight behind it by the end. It never cheats though, and the cinematography is marvelous.
Grade: A-
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