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Reviews
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
This Movie Is Awesome !!!!
I saw this movie last night at a sneak preview in Santa Monica. Jon Favreau knocked it out of the park! I never give movies a 10, but I gave it one because it is an original movie, with an old-school style! Finally, we see Harrison Ford how he should be seen, (which was hard to do after "Indiana Jones 4,and "Hollywood Homicide." I'm not a huge Daniel Craig fan, but he reminds me of a young Steve McQueen. I'm not gonna give any spoilers, just go see the film... you'll be glad you did. Great supporting performances by Buck Taylor, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine, Abigail Spencer, Raoul Trujillo, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, and Sam "The Man" Rockwell! This is the perfect movie !!! I am critical when it comes to westerns, because they are the movies I was raised on... but this movie is like a cross between "The Searchers," "Aliens," and "Indiana Jones." This man knows how to tell a story and make a great film!
Corked (2009)
This Movie was better than SideWays!!!!!!
I just saw this movie last night at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles and it just blew me away. Charming, Witty, and Educational!! I was also amazed at the talented pool of actors that were assembled for this film. It was not what I had expected at all. My Girlfriend made me go to it and now I am glad that she did, not to mention, the filmmakers had a great wine tasting event on the roof... it was first class all the way.
If you liked Sideways, you should definitely see this movie with your favorite bottle of wine.
Here is a review from the Hollywood Reporter:
Film Review: Corked! By Duane Byrge, May 22, 2009 10:15 ET
CANNES -- A satire of "fine wine" has found its time. A mockumentary in the "Spinal Tap" tradition, "Corked!" pops off the pretensions of the Northern California wine community. This aromatic outing distills all the pretentious sniffing and snobbing that accompanies the wine biz.
Drier and frothier than recent mockumentaries made by recognized Hollywood comics, "Corked!" is a pithy delight. It's a brilliant lampoon of winemaking and will go well with either Milk Duds or organic popcorn.
If picked, this TriCoast Worldwide entertainment will entice on the select-site circuit, and perform superbly in festivals. With its ripe subject matter and brainy humor, "Corked!" could pop on cable outlets, from comedy channels to the food-stuff channels.
Written and directed by Ross Clendenen and Paul Hawley, "Corked!" blends the stories of four different, Northern California wineries. Poured out in a dead-on documentary style of interviews from vinters, wine critics, marketers and pickers, it's like to tantalize the funny- bones of all of us who have endured wine-connoisseur talk. Hilarious and smart, it never falls flat, only occasionally bursting its bubble of documentary plausibility. So well-honed is "Corked!" that many viewers are not going to realize it's a fictional entertainment.
Blue ribbons to filmmakers Clendenen and Hawley, and to their talented cast. In particular, plaudits to Todd Norris for his performance as a protector of the grapes, who blasts high- decibel jaguar sounds across the vineyards to startle starlings as well as other unsavory interlopers.
As two knucklehead wine-marketers, one in AA and the other a Bud man, Ben Tolpin and Rob Reinis are uproarious, while Ross Clendenen is perfect as a snooty, effete vineyard mogul.
Tech contributions are a perfect blend: Special praise to cinematographer/editor Miguel Medina for his acidic comic compositions and devilishly dry cuts.
Burying the Past: Legacy of the Mountain Meadows Massacre (2004)
This Documentary Blows
I saw this documentary and have to say that it appears sanctioned by the LDS church to be a "spoon fed" politically correct version of events. The only part that was worthwhile, was the exposure of the body remains from the actual grave-site of the victims, which the church quickly made an effort to change state policy and cover up the facts. The current documentary about the Mormons on PBS covers this event and contains higher production value, not to mention that it is free and the film maker (Patrick) wants you to go to his website to pay for his version...apparently it is so one-sided that they will not accept it on public television. Helen Whitney's version is a better quality film and seems to have more of a neutral viewpoint, as a true documentary should have. I live near Cedar City and have a lot of interest in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, but I can tell you that the LDS has done a lot of aggressive PR to distort true events... which is why you should watch a documentary that does not have an agenda.