Bryan Lienesch’s 13 Best Films of ’13
In Movies | By Bryan Lienesch | On February 28 2014 11:26 AM
Oscar Weekend is finally upon us and what a year it has been for cinema. There were the usual heavyweights dropping more anticipated hits, head-turning surprises, and a strong comeback of a certain genre. Maybe it's just me, but 2013 ...
More! More! More! The Wolf of Wall Street Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On December 29 2013 05:27 PM
Just a few short weeks ago, director David O. Russell brought us American Hustle, a sexy, cool, and confident look at a bunch of leisure-suited misfits trying to obtain the good life in the amber glow of the late 1970s. ...
Bloody Revenge, Bare-Knuckle Thrills, and Family Drama: Out of the Furnace Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On December 8 2013 05:16 PM
Over the past few years, it seems that it has become routine for Hollywood to release one or two rundown drama-thrillers a year that feature blue collar characters having it out with one another in a gasping American neighborhood that ...
The Return of an Avenger: Thor: The Dark World Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On November 10 2013 12:25 PM
Just six short months after dominating the summer with Iron Man 3 and three short months after announcing details for their Avengers follow-up, Marvel is back with a sequel to Kenneth Branagh’s intergalactic epic Thor. Branagh’s iridescent 2011 effort really ...
Fast Cars, Fast Action, Fierce Rivalry: Rush Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On September 28 2013 12:19 PM
In 1976, little Opie Taylor himself Ron Howard starred in the Roger Corman car chase movie called Eat My Dust, agreeing to be in the film if B-movie king Corman would let him direct his own picture down the line. ...
Politically Charged Sci-Fi: Elysium Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On August 10 2013 02:21 PM
In 2009, South African director Neill Blomkamp took moviegoers by storm with his hugely original directorial debut District 9, a grungy science-fiction gift from the gods that acted as an allegory for apartheid in Johannesburg. Made with only $30 million, ...
Sick, Twisted, and Hilarious: ‘You’re Next’ Advanced Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On August 9 2013 02:42 PM
It’s extremely rare for Hollywood to muster up one semi-decent horror movie a year. Sure, there is always one or two that manage to generate a little bit of buzz before coming out, but once its on the market, they ...
Geriatric Action! RED 2 Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On July 21 2013 01:54 PM
About three years ago, director Robert Schwentke’s geriatric action-comedy RED became a respectable success. It raked in a nice chunk of change, it seemed to charm anyone who went to the theater to see it, and it even went on ...
A Modern Horror Classic: The Conjuring Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On July 19 2013 03:25 PM
There was a time when I thought that James Wan was a hack. In 2004, he failed to move me with his industrial indie Saw, the film that was responsible for igniting the torture porn craze that gripped the horror ...
Monster Madness: Pacific Rim Review
In Movies | By Steve Habrat | On July 12 2013 03:18 PM
These days, it is extremely difficult and rare for a major Hollywood studio to take a creative risk, especially during the hot and humid summer months when audiences turn out in droves. The suits fall back on time-tested franchises, overdone ...