Retro-view: Natural Born Killers

One of the advantages of living within a reasonable driving distance of an Alamo Drafthouse theater is that it gives me access to seeing older films in a theater on a big screen. In many cases this also means being able to see a 35mm print, which is becoming harder and harder to do. For a movie lover, such as myself, the big screen is the best way to see a movie, even if it is one you’ve seen many times over. The latest example of this is Natural Born Killers, a movie I originally saw in theaters as a homework assignment way back in 1994. Let me say that it was a great seeing it in a theater again.

Movie Review: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay: Part 2

Well, the series has come to close, not with a bang, but a whimper. This is not to say I did not enjoy the film, but it is certainly not without its flaws. I can say I was entertained, but considering how the series got off to a roaring success with its first two entries, the final two seem a little tired and worn out by comparison. I seriously think the franchise would have been better off, creatively, if the Mockingjay pair of films were just one film. The studio got greedy, and as they are wont to do with their high profile franchises, split the final book into two films (following Harry Potter, Twilight, and you could probably toss The Hobbit in there as well). Both final films felt stretched and padded with material to meet run time requirements.

Movie Review: Out of the Furnace

I saw the trailer for Out of the Furnace a few times in theaters. Each time I saw it, I marveled at the quality cast that had been assembled. Also, each time I saw it, I had forgotten I had already seen it before. It is a movie that, while looking somewhat interesting, did not leave much of an impact on my mind. It is a movie that did not strike that my mind as a must see. There was, of course, a certain level of curiosity, so I was sure to head off and see it.

Movie Review: The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

To be honest, the fact that director Gary Ross declined to return for the sequel to the hit Hunger Games from last year made me happy. While I felt he acquitted himself well on the film, it was pretty clear he was not very good at handling action, especially when you need to disguise the level of violence for a PG-13 rating. In his place is Francis Lawrence, a former music video director who has done well with genre fare such as Constantine and I Am Legend. He does a far better job with Catching Fire than Ross did on the first. As an added bonus, Lawrence will be on hand for the two part finale.