4) Kill List (2011) Dir. Ben Wheately I saw Dawn Terrace last year and absolutely fell in love with Wheately’s style and haunting slow-burn tension and overall tone. When I read Jeremy’s review of his newest film Kill List from SXSW 2011, I was sold. The film is very unpleasant. This is both due to on-screen violence, but perhaps more to the way violence is handled. The two main characters are contract killers, Jay (Neil Maskell) is especially emotionally unstable and is a powerhouse of a performance. I don’t want to spoil anything but the ending 15-20 minutes of the film will leave you in gut-wrenching horror and will make you want to start over again to unravel the dark mysteries of Kill List. Fantastic work Mr. Wheately. Bring on Sightseers!

4) Kill List (2011) Dir. Ben Wheately

I saw Dawn Terrace last year and absolutely fell in love with Wheately’s style and haunting slow-burn tension and overall tone. When I read Jeremy’s review of his newest film Kill List from SXSW 2011, I was sold. The film is very unpleasant. This is both due to on-screen violence, but perhaps more to the way violence is handled. The two main characters are contract killers, Jay (Neil Maskell) is especially emotionally unstable and is a powerhouse of a performance. I don’t want to spoil anything but the ending 15-20 minutes of the film will leave you in gut-wrenching horror and will make you want to start over again to unravel the dark mysteries of Kill List. Fantastic work Mr. Wheately. Bring on Sightseers!

07.01.12
3) Water for Elephants (2011) Dir. Francis Lawrence  Bleh. Not particularly bad, but not at all good. Reese Witherspoon is so out of the era with her acting and Pattinson is doing a horrid grin throughout 90% of the movie. To quote an in-joke I have with Jeremy, “This film is so Threadgills.”

3) Water for Elephants (2011) Dir. Francis Lawrence 

Bleh. Not particularly bad, but not at all good. Reese Witherspoon is so out of the era with her acting and Pattinson is doing a horrid grin throughout 90% of the movie. To quote an in-joke I have with Jeremy, “This film is so Threadgills.”

07.01.12
2) Horrible Bosses (2011) Dir. Seth Gordon Pretty funny in general. I am a fan of Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philidelphia so of course he was a shoe-in for me (albeit he’s playing the same character for the most part). Colin Farrell was great, as well as Kevin Spacy. Other than that, the film was just so-so. 

2) Horrible Bosses (2011) Dir. Seth Gordon

Pretty funny in general. I am a fan of Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philidelphia so of course he was a shoe-in for me (albeit he’s playing the same character for the most part). Colin Farrell was great, as well as Kevin Spacy. Other than that, the film was just so-so. 

07.01.12
1) The Muppets (2011) Dir. James Bobin What a wonderful way to start the year in movies. Everyone is utterly fantastic in this and Segal and Adams work great with the Muppets we already love. True passion and love for the Muppet universe spews from Segal and you really see a true child-like joy in his eyes. Fun for the whole family. 

1) The Muppets (2011) Dir. James Bobin

What a wonderful way to start the year in movies. Everyone is utterly fantastic in this and Segal and Adams work great with the Muppets we already love. True passion and love for the Muppet universe spews from Segal and you really see a true child-like joy in his eyes. Fun for the whole family. 

07.01.12

2011 is finished…onto 2012!

So I did 116 new films last year, let’s see how many I can pull in for 2012. Starting with……

07.01.12
116) The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Dir. George Nolfi A bit hokey at times, but still a solid sci-fi effort with some interesting ideas. Damon and Blunt are good enough but sometimes the budget and script gets in the way of the film ever truly excelling. I still enjoyed it for what it was. 

116) The Adjustment Bureau (2011) Dir. George Nolfi

A bit hokey at times, but still a solid sci-fi effort with some interesting ideas. Damon and Blunt are good enough but sometimes the budget and script gets in the way of the film ever truly excelling. I still enjoyed it for what it was. 

31.12.11
115) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) Dir. Brad Bird Fantastic action-packed fun. Brad Bird rises to the occasion in this first live-action feature, easily shooting MI4 to the ranks of JJ Abram’s MI3. Great stuff. Simon Pegg is gold and there was some true joy in seeing Tom Cruise in his element once again. 

115) Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) Dir. Brad Bird

Fantastic action-packed fun. Brad Bird rises to the occasion in this first live-action feature, easily shooting MI4 to the ranks of JJ Abram’s MI3. Great stuff. Simon Pegg is gold and there was some true joy in seeing Tom Cruise in his element once again. 

31.12.11
114) Chillerama (2011) Dir. Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan Harmless fun for the most part. I enjoyed this with a bit of alcoholic eggnog with my fiancé which I’m sure added to the experience. I actually worked on this film, having a VFX credit for Adam Rifkin’s Wadzilla segment and it was a lot of fun to work on. Was not a huge fan of the We’rebear segment but oh well, the rest was good. The Diary of Anne Frankenstein was Green at his best in terms of writing and Joel David Moore has never been better. 

114) Chillerama (2011) Dir. Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan

Harmless fun for the most part. I enjoyed this with a bit of alcoholic eggnog with my fiancé which I’m sure added to the experience. I actually worked on this film, having a VFX credit for Adam Rifkin’s Wadzilla segment and it was a lot of fun to work on. Was not a huge fan of the We’rebear segment but oh well, the rest was good. The Diary of Anne Frankenstein was Green at his best in terms of writing and Joel David Moore has never been better. 

31.12.11
113) The Shrine (2010) Dir. Jon Knautz I liked Knautz’s debut film (Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer) enough to check out his follow up feature, The Shrine. The film is generic as all get out, but still manages to pack in some great gore, scares and atmosphere. Worth the short 84 minute run time for sure. Will I watch it again or purchase it? Most likely not, but it was a decent way to spend an evening. Aaron Ashmore and his brother Shawn are literally the same person. 

113) The Shrine (2010) Dir. Jon Knautz

I liked Knautz’s debut film (Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer) enough to check out his follow up feature, The Shrine. The film is generic as all get out, but still manages to pack in some great gore, scares and atmosphere. Worth the short 84 minute run time for sure. Will I watch it again or purchase it? Most likely not, but it was a decent way to spend an evening. Aaron Ashmore and his brother Shawn are literally the same person. 

17.12.11
112) Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) Dir. Troy Nixey  Blah. What a bland “horror film.” Troy Nixey is a nice enough guy, having met him in person at Comic-Con this past summer, but my goodness is this flick dull. It feels like a rough imitation of a Guillermo Del Toro film, and the moments where his vision does shine through, it still feels contrived and lackluster. Boring script, silly plot, nothing special here. Move along. 

112) Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) Dir. Troy Nixey 

Blah. What a bland “horror film.” Troy Nixey is a nice enough guy, having met him in person at Comic-Con this past summer, but my goodness is this flick dull. It feels like a rough imitation of a Guillermo Del Toro film, and the moments where his vision does shine through, it still feels contrived and lackluster. Boring script, silly plot, nothing special here. Move along. 

17.12.11