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Reviews
Boyhood (2014)
Critics are going to love this 3 hours of nothing!
There were some really beautiful and insightful moments in Boyhood...very brief moments...book ended by hours of mind-numbing nothingness. Unfortunately, overall, it feels like Linklater turned out the equivalent of breaking out some dusty photo albums and showing them to strangers who don't have much in the way of contextual background. The characters generally have no depth and aren't particularly like-able.
It was a neat project. I applaud the effort and the idea. It really just doesn't work as far as making a great film. It was OK...or it was better than bad, and the novelty added a bit more spice to the otherwise bland movie. The critics are going to LOVE this movie!
I love the idea of the movie. I even love the moments that took me back to relive some of my own childhood. It just felt like it belonged in an extended (and probably very boring) Lifetime Network television series instead of crammed into a movie that was more than just a little disjointed. The movie was basically a collection of acted out memories from youth, with no real direction.
I read somewhere (I wish I could quote where) that Linklater really avoided clichés with this movie. He was either lying to the author of the article or himself. His main character, Mason, Jr., ended up becoming the Indie movie darling stereotype...Brooding, disaffected, artist, loner, philosopher...who somehow scored a Photography scholarship to college after giving every indication he might fail out of school due to apathy...poof...movie magic...Ugh.
The fact that this is fiction and not a documentary following a real family for 12 years makes it even more frustrating...Where is the story? Where is the character development? Why is this movie set on pushing a liberal political agenda (this was extremely disappointing).
As I stated earlier, critics are going to LOVE this for it's novelty. All of your hipster friends are going to wax poetic about it. I will be told I "just don't get it". This is one of those movies that are made almost DARING you to not praise it. I am pretty sure you are supposed to watch the film and then pat yourself on the back to congratulate yourself for being so deep and intellectual for truly understanding it.
Death of the Dead (2011)
Definitely good for several belly chuckles and a guffaw or two.
This movie has a little bit of a whole lot in it: Kung-Fu masters, Teen angst, Zombies, gratuitous nudity (not all of it pretty), nun-chucks made from...well, let's just call them Nut-chucks! As far as Zombie movies, this one has definitely carved out its own niche. It is a roller-coaster ride of comic, B-movie awesomeness. I recommend this movie to anyone who is in the mood for a change of pace from the mega-movie market. This movie does a great job of not taking itself at all seriously without being obnoxious about it. An instant add to my cult classics collection!
Christina Rose as the Awkward Teenager-turned super kick-ass vixen-running around in fetish latex ninja kung-fu attire is absolutely amazing. There must be at least a dozen different movie clichés she parodies.
Jack Abele is perfect as the bumbling kung-fu mentor. Move over Mr. Myagi! I can honestly say that as an actor, Mr. Abele must truly be fearless. Some of the gags had me choking on my Coke I was laughing so hard.
Gary king did an excellent job directing this indie comedy/horror/action flick. It starts as what appears to be another unbearably bad/stupid parody movie and it slowly draws you in until you find yourself spewing cola products through your nose.
Trust me, you will find yourself telling all of your friends about this little gem of a movie.