Movie Review: The Night Before (2015)

I am not normally the kind of guy who likes Christmas movies before Thanksgiving, outside of the obvious year round exceptions (A Nightmare Before Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night, Black Christmas, you get the idea). Still, sometimes theatrical release schedules make the decision for you when you start seeing them in any given year. This year The Night Before got me in front of a Yuletide themed film prior to turkey-day this year. And you know what? It was a blast. It is a buddy movie, a drug comedy, an awkward coming of age tale, and it is all wrapped up like A Christmas Carol. Yes, I liked it. Smart? Hardly, but certainly funny and surprisingly heartfelt.

Movie Review: Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has had a very interesting career thus far. Since first appearing on television as the youngest cast member on 3rd Rock from the Sun, he has grown up and made the transition through teen years to adulthood with interesting loves such as Brick, Mysterious Skin, The Lookout, (500)Days of Summer, Inception, 50/50, and Looper, among others. Now, he is showing that he has been paying attention behind the scenes with his writing and directing debut. Don Jon, is a brave and insightful movie that is certainly not for everyone and is definitely not a date night movie.

Movie Review: Looper

I am going to give you a name. The name I am to give you is one out must commit to memory. It is not exactly important to remember for the purpose of this review, it is more for the quality of movies that he makes. The name is Rian Johnson. You may not know it yet, but he is a man to keep an eye on. He has now made three films and all of them take familiar ideas and turns them into something extraordinary. First was Brick, the high school drama told like a noir film. Second was The Brothers Bloom, a twist on the con man tale. Now there is Looper, a fascinating take on the time travel story.

Movie Review: Premium Rush

Premium Rush is a film bursting at the seams with kinetic energy. It is a non stop race through the streets of New York. It is a movie that takes the typical chase formula and does a little tweaking, making it feel fresh and exciting. In short, this is a better movie than it had any right to be. I went in hoping for a fun diversion and what I got was something more. I am not saying it is a great film, but there is enough quality that it cannot be ignored.