Peril at Sea Double Feature Part II: Captain Phillips
Last week I decided one intense man-faces-death-at-sea movie just wasn’t enough for me. After watching Robert Redford’s harrowing performance in All is Lost (click here for my review), I went and saw Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips. Tom Hanks plays the titular ca
Peril at Sea Double-Feature Part I: All is Lost
Last week I took in not one, but two intense stories featuring great peril at sea: All is Lost and Captain Phillips. Today I am here to talk about All is Lost. The film is a fascinating exercise in technique, as it depicts only one single human being on camera from start to finish:
Josh Reviews Ender’s Game
I read Orscon Scott Card’s novel Ender’s Game when I was in college, and I loved it. I was intrigued by the character of Ender, and captured by the tough, brutal world Mr. Card had created. I of course kept reading and, though I know I am in the minority on this one, I l
Josh Reviews Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing
After making The Avengers, Joss Whedon got a bunch of his friends and frequent collaborators together and, over 12 days and working in and around his own house, shot a black-and-white adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. I missed this when it was very br
Josh Reviews Thor: The Dark World
The sprawling cinematic epic that Marvel Studios has been crafting, ever since 2008’s Iron Man, rolls on with the very strong installment Thor: The Dark World. One might have been forgiven for thinking that perhaps, after the unprecedented movie super-hero crossover that was T
From the DVD Shelf: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
I am endlessly fascinated by coming-of-age stories, and I don’t think I’m alone. I adore this sub-genre of movies, and when done right, I find these sorts of movies to be emotionally gripping. I have seen a number of great coming-of-age films recently, as it happens, i
Grant Morrison’s Batman Epic Part 6: Batman Incorporated
Back in 2006, Grant Morrison began writing DC Comics’ flagship Batman title. Now, seven years (and two title changes) later, Mr. Morrison’s epic Batman saga has concluded. Over the past six months I have had a heck of a time re-reading Mr. Morrison’s story from s
News Around the Net
This is fantastic: Tom Hiddleston (who played Loki in both Thor movies and The Avengers) doing a phneomenal impression of Owen Wilson, had Owen been cast as Loki. Check this out. West Wing fans! Did you see this clip of Allison Janney performing The Jackal on The Arsenio Hall Show
From the DVD Shelf: The Place Beyond the Pines
I didn’t see director Derek Cianfrance’s 2010 film, Blue Valentine, though I certainly read about it when it came out. (The film got a lot of acclaim, and also a lot of ink due to its NC-17 rating.) It’s a film I am interested in seeing one of these days, but for