THE REVIEW CORNER

     Ah yes, it's that time of year again where we (to quote host Billy Crystal) "watch millionaires give other millionaires shiny golden statues".  It's the Oscars, and this year had something unique to offer, an appreciation for early cinema.  My two favorite movies of the year (that happen to be about early cinema), The Artist, and Hugo, had the most nominations going into the night with Hugo's 11 nominations, and The Artist's 10 nominations.      So, I guess we could say that old stuff is once again modern. The Positives      Firstly, this is the second year in a row where not only have I correctly predicted the winner of Best Director and Best Picture, but it's the second year in a row that the winner of those two awards were the director I thought made the best movie, and the Best Picture winner was my favorite movie of the year.  Last year, my favorite movie was The King's Speech and this year, it's The Artist. ...

Starring: Tom Hardy, Chris Pine, and Reese Witherspoon Directed by: McG Screenplay by: Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg     It's another one of those love triangle movies.  Except this time, it's not just man vs. man, it's spy vs. spy.     Two CIA agents are looking for love.  So when they both fall upon the same girl, what are they going to do?  They both want her, and they're both friends, but only one of them can have her.  Who's it going to be?     They're both spying on each other once they find out they have the same girlfriend.  Could this potentially destroy their friendship?     Something tells me that this storyline just isn't that original.  Yes, it's a romance mashed together with a spy movie, and for the most part both genres do each other justice in this film.  However, there's a whole lot of the two agents spying on each other, and not a whole lot of romance.  There's also a second ope...

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington, and Robert Patrick Directed by: Daniel Espinosa Screenplay by: David Guggenheim    Nobody is safe in this safe house.    Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), one of the CIA's most wanted fugitives has just arrived in a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, a safe house being watched over by agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds).  When the safe house is attacked, Weston has to go on the run with Frost and find a new safe house where Frost can be held until the CIA takes him for interrogation.  Will Weston be able to hold on to Frost and save the day, or will Frost escape and get Weston into trouble?    The cinematography of this film makes me want to puke it's so bad.  It can at some points make you feel kind of dizzy or queasy.  It's shot handy-cam style, similarly to Chronicle.   They clearly forgot what a tripod is or how to use one.  The entire movie is shot this way and the scene i...

Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan Directed by: Josh Trank Screenplay by: Max Landis     I wish I could move stuff with my mind.  I really do, but I can't.  So instead, I'll just review Chronicle.     Three high school friends are at a party one night and they discover this strange thing.  Is it a giant colorful rock?  Is it a meteor?  We'll never know.  But we know what it does.  It gives these three friends the ability to move things around with their minds.  At first, it seems that this new ability brings the friends closer together, and everything begins to go great for them.  Will they be able to still be friends long after they discover this ability, or will it tear them apart, and how will it affect everyone else around them?     The story is somewhat cliche.  It's not that original.  People find something strange and what do they do?  The stupid thing.  Th...

     Well, I just couldn't resist.  The biggest game of the year, and often the funniest commercials of the year.  I just had to write a review about them.      If you missed the big game, you missed one hell of a show.  But I don't want to tell the score, because chances are, you probably heard about it already.      So enough with the blah blah blah.      As with every year, there are some commercials that make us laugh, and make us wonder.  Of course Doritos was back in action with their cheap commercials that seem to always be the best.  But I was honestly a little let down with them.  There were only two Doritos commercials this year, and they weren't like the Doritos ninja from last year.  They weren't all that funny, and really stupid (as Doritos commercials seem to always be).  I see no reason to buy Doritos because of those commercials (fortunately I still like those chips). ...