Movie Review: Return of the Living Dead 3

After spending an evening revisiting the classic Return of the Living Dead and discovering that I had never seen Return of the Living Dead Part II, I decided to complete the trifecta and watch Return of the Living Dead 3 (which I know I had seen before). There is nothing like spending some time with some zombies, sure they are pretty much everywhere these days, but that has not diminished their effectiveness, it just might take a touch longer to uncover the good ones. In any case, the third return film is my second favorite of the three (we won't bother with those two that were on TV later on). This one also changes the formula, while remaining a recognizable part of the series.

Movie Review: Blended

Despite my initial reservations, I broke down and saw Blended. I went in hoping the tandem of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore would be able to recapture what they had in 50 First Dates. Well, the answer is, they can't. Simply put, while there is a certain sweetness underneath the surface, it is just an utter mess of a movie with a central conceit that just doesn't make any sense. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised, but I have to admit to always having some level of hope that I will walk away satisfied. This one did not leave me with any sort of satisfaction.

Reviews in Retrograde: Autumn in New York

Critical Outcast isn't my first attempt at a website, I had a few stutter steps in the late 1990's and early 2000's. These attempts generated a whole bunch of poorly written, often very short and spoilerific reviews. I recently stumbled upon them in my archives and thought you may be interested in seeing some of these early attempts at writing. They are as they were then, I make no apologies for how bad or how short they are. Feel free to have at them with reckless abandon! I present to you: Reviews in Retrograde.

Movie Review: Her

Spike Jonze is an interesting film maker. He may not be the most prolific of creators, but when he does grace the screen with something, it is generally going to be worth seeing. He takes different angles into the material, so even if the tale is familiar or at least has familiar elements it is still going to be something you will want to spend time with. I am not saying you are going to like the movie, necessarily, but you will certainly have a reaction to it. Her is one of those movies. It is not the most original of ideas, but it is terribly engrossing. I can say it held my attention.

The Movies of Brandon Lee: The Critcast Watches The Crow

I wrap up my series on Brandon Lee's filmography with this rambling video talking about one of my all time favorite movies.

Critical Capsule: The Host (2013)

I know I shouldn't have bothered. I had a strong suspicion it would not be a good movie. I would have been better off going to see The Call or Meet the Croods. Still, I somehow managed to find myself sitting in a theater watching The Host. If you know me, there is a good chance that you are wondering why I went, certainly there must have been something better I could have gone to see. You would probably be right. I am sure there was. Unfortunately, there is no going back in time like Christopher Reeve in Superman II.

Blu-ray Review: Hit and Run

Hit and Run is a movie that is not terribly deep and not exactly insightful. It is the kind of movie that arrives with low expectations, does not exactly light up the box office, and disappears from the public eye, destined to be little more than a footnote for all involved. That probably sounds harsh but I believe it deserves a better fate than that. This movie is actually pretty good and while it may not have much to say, it is a fun, in the moment kind of flick. I could think of worse ways to spend an evening.

Movie Review: Celeste and Jesse Forever

It was not that long ago that Celeste and Jesse Forever came to my attention. The railed played in front front of some movie I can't recall, but the tailed kind of stood out. It looked to be just another romantic comedy, but there was a twist. Instead of featuring a couple trying to make things work, attract each other, or even in the throes of a break up, this movie is about a married couple who are going through a divorce but are remaining best friends. It is an idea that flies in the face of what is socially acceptable and expected.

Movie Review: Ek Tha Tiger

I have come to learn that Bollywood films are something of an acquired taste. They are a vastly different beast than Hollywood films. They mostly ignore genre boundaries, usually adding in comedic elements to romances or romantic and comedic elements to action films, not to mention the musical numbers. They will never be my favorite kind of movies, but there is still a lot to like. The latest film I have had the chance to see was Ek Tha Tiger, an action film from the Yash Raj production company.

Movie Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is an odd movie. It kind of snuck into theaters under cover of darkness. It is a movie that has not had much of a promotional campaign and after seeing the movie , I can sort of understand why. This may be a rather straightforward and simple movie, but it is also odd, quirky, and strange. It is not a movie that lends itself to easy marketability and, quite frankly, I am kind of surprised it got a wide release right off the bat. It strikes me as the sort of movie to get a limited release to test the waters before going wide.

Blu-ray Review: The Vow

The fact that I saw The Vow on the big screen led many of  my friends to wonder why. Upon hearing that I liked he movie led them to an even more incredulous "Why?" It seems that there are people out there who buy into the idea of the "chick flick" and the "guy flick" (with some of my friends being among that number), I am not one of those people. Sure, I have used these terms as a shortcut when describing a movie quickly, we all understand what they mean. So, we are back to me enjoying a "chick flick." Whatever you want to think, there is nothing wrong with enjoying romantic movies, it is just hard to find a good one.

Movie Review: The Five-Year Engagement

It was only a few month ago that I was writing about a little movie called Like Crazy. It was a pretty interesting cinematic romance that doesn't follow the typical romantic comedy guidelines. This movie gave us an intimate look at a living, breathing relationship whose very existence is threatened by life itself. The reality of individual life paths come crashing down on this union. By now, I am sure you are wondering why I am talking about an Anton Yelchin film. Simple, The Five-Year Engagement follows a similar path to romance, albeit in a more absurdist fashion. It is a funny movie that touches on definite realities of trying to make a relationship work and I liked it quite a bit.

DVD Review: Like Crazy

When it comes to cinematic romance, it seems we are relegated to either insipid studio created romcoms that offer little in terms of genuine emotion, or Nicholas Sparks sap-fests. It's rare that one comes along that actually feels genuine and has characters whose emotion rings true. An example of one that got it right is (500) Days of Summer (a favorite of mine); now we have Like Crazy, and it is a good candidate to join the ranks of successful movie romances.

Blu-ray Review: Blade of Kings

A bunch of years ago I learned of a movie called The Twins Effect. It was a big budget summer action vehicle that pitted pop stars The Twins (Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung) against vampires. It's star power was padded with Edison Chen, Eking Cheng, and a special appearance by Jackie Chan. The movie was fun but shallow. It proved popular enough upon its release in 2003 that a sequel was quickly put into production. The result was The Twins Effect II, again starring The Twins and banking on their popularity. Joining them again are Edison Chen and Jackie Chan, they are joined by the likes of Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Donnie Yen. Quite the star studded affair. The story has nothing to do with the first one but they are both rather fun in a simple way.

Movie Review: This Means War

I cannot say that I had high hopes for This Means War, but I can say I hoped to be somewhat entertained. After all, it has a decent cast of players who can generally act pretty decently, a director who knows his way around over the top excess, and a premise that felt somewhat fresh. Well, the end result was a mishmash of decent execution, bad writing, and mediocre entertainment. I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy it, but I would also be lying if I said it was something I felt the desire to experience again.

Movie Review: The Vow

When I mentioned that I was interested in seeing The Vow, more than a few friends and acquaintances responded with a quizzical "Why?" Of course, the simple response is "Why not?" It seems that there are people out there who buy into the idea of the "chick flick" and the "guy flick." I am not one of those people. I have been known to use these terms as a bit of a shortcut to describe a movie quickly, we all understand what they mean whether or not we agree with them. So, we are back to me going to see a "chick flick." Whatever you want to think, there is nothing wrong with going to see a romantically flavored movie. Just don't do it by yourself around Valentine's day, no one should have to deal with that.

Movie Review: The Artist

I recall when I first heard of The Artist, it was a friend telling me he wanted to see it. At the time I had never heard of it. He told me about this silent film that he really wanted to see but figured it would never get much of a release. Then I saw the trailer for it. Interesting to say the least. I was definitely intrigued. So, I went back and mentioned to my friend that I knew where he was coming from. The movie sure did look intriguing. The only thing left, at that point, was to wonder if it would play anywhere nearby to actually see it. Fortunately, it has come close enough for me to go see and I am very glad that I did. The movie is a wonderfully executed throwback that knows what it is and pokes fun at it.

Blu-ray Review: The Art of Getting By

When it played Sundance earlier this year the film went by the name Homework. I am not sure if the name change was the only change or if it underwent any other edit in the wake of its distribution deal, but I can say that the new title is certainly an improvement. Don't you think The Art of Getting By sounds better? The original name makes it sound like some lame MTV Films production, whereas the final title makes it appear more like the quirky indie that it is. It also sounds like it would make a great double feature with It's Kind of a Funny Story (which, coincidentally, also co-stars Emma Roberts). Both are populated with quirky characters and a central character trying to deal with the world around him in angsty, indie fashion.

Movie Review: Like Crazy

Oh, romantic comedies, why do you torment us so? This genre is one of those where it seems to be nearly impossible to deliver something genuinely good. You can extend this to romantic films in general. When it comes to cinematic romance, it seems we are relegated to either insipid studio backed romcoms that offer little to nothing in terms of genuine emotion, or Nicholas Sparks sap-fests. It is rare that one comes along that has something genuine to say. A couple of years ago we got (500) Days of Summer, which quickly became a personal favorite. Now we have Like Crazy, and it is good.

Movie Review: TiMER

So, following all of those horror movies I watched in October, I decided I wanted to cleanse the palate a little bit by taking a trip to another genre. You know how it is, I filled my eyes up with so much blood, gore, and general darkness that, despite my desire to watch a lot more of that stuff, I needed something lighter to give my mind some perspective. Unless you want me to just snap and start swinging that axe until.... Well, I think you understand. In any case, my perusing of Netflix led me to this sci-fi themed romcom. My choice was made.