February 2012
15 posts
6 tags
The Flicksation Podcast Episode #20 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #20. On the episode we review/discuss CHRONICLE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN and BUCK. We speak with director Josh Krohn and discuss his newest short film FIRESALE.
Our Feature Segment is “If Flicksation Picked the Oscar Winners”
Of course we spend time discussing the most interesting recent film news and in the “Quick Fix” we...
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If I Picked the Oscar Winners
I viewed 85 2011 releases, including all the Best Pic Noms as well as everything that piqued my interest or received enough positive notice that I thought I should see. Below I show which of the nominees I would pick to win the Oscar for most categories. If I have not had the chance to view the majority of the nominees in a category, I did not make a choice. Also, the following films which...
5 tags
Top 10 Films of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 10 Films of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on them. These ten films are what I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
(I expand beyond 10 when a film isn’t Oscar eligible)
* denotes not being Oscar...
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Best Achievements in Directing of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 5 Achievements in Directing of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on the films they are from. These five Directors are who I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
(I expand beyond 5 when a film isn’t Oscar...
5 tags
Best Original Screenplays of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 5 Original Screenplays of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on the films they are from. These five screenplays are what I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
(I expand beyond 5 when a film isn’t...
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The Flicksation Podcast Best of 2011 in Film...
The Flicksation Podcast just posted our Best of 2011 in Film show. We all give our Top 10 Films, Top 5 Performances in Lead and Supporting, Actor and Actress, Directing, Writing and some other favorites.
If interested the links are below. If you know anyone else who may like it, please pass it along to them. (Thanks for any help getting the word out!)
The Flicksation Facebook Page
The...
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Best Lead Actor Performances of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 5 Lead Actor Performances of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on the films they are from. These five performances are what I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
1. Michael Shannon - Take Shelter
2....
5 tags
Best Lead Actress Performances of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 5 Lead Actress Performances of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on the films they are from. These five performances are what I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
(I expand beyond 5 when a film isn’t...
5 tags
Best Supporting Actor Performances of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 5 Supporting Actor Performances of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on the films they are from. These five performances are what I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
(I expand beyond 5 when a film...
5 tags
Best Supporting Actress Performances of 2011
I saw 80+ 2011 films that included all the Oscar Best Picture Nominees as well as basically anything I found intriguing or had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Below I will rank my Top 5 Supporting Actress Performances of 2011 and supply links to my thoughts on the films they are from. These five performances are what I believe deserved the Oscar Nominations.
1. Jessica Chastain - Take...
5 tags
The Flicksation Podcast Episode #19 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #19. On the episode we review/discuss THE GREY, TEXAS KILLING FIELDS, PROJECT NIM and THE WHISTEBLOWER, three of which are available on DVD now.
In the Feature Segment “Serial Awareness” we each chose a serial killer related film to discuss that we particularly enjoy. (My choice was David Fincher’s Masterpiece, ZODIAC)
Of course we spend time...
5 tags
Film Review: The Last Mountain
The Last Mountain —————————————7/10
A Documentary Directed by Bill Haney
Fandango Synopsis - A coal mining corporation and a tiny community vie for the last great mountain in Appalachia in a battle for the future of energy that affects us all.
Positives - This is an issue Documentary about an issue (The...
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Film Rating: The Whistleblower
The Whistleblower————————————7/10
Directed by Larysa Kondracki, Written by Larysa Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan, Starring Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, David Strathairn and Roxana Condurache
IMDB SYNOPSIS- A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in...
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Film Rating: Texas Killing Fields
Texas Killing Fields————————————-4/10
Directed by Ami Canaan Mann, Written by Don Ferrarone, Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Chloe Moretz and Stephen Graham
IMDB SYNOPSIS- In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of...
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Ranking & Rating the Best Picture Nominees
Nine films were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar this year and I have already rated and reviewed all nine in prior posts, but I thought I’d offer up an overview of my ratings, link to the reviews and then rank those nine nominees. I’d only call one of the films nominated terrible, while there are four I’d classify as great and seven of the nine are good films worth seeing....
January 2012
13 posts
5 tags
Film Rating: Tyrannosaur
Tyrannosaur ———————————7/10
Directed and Written by Paddy Considine, Starring Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan
Fandango Synopsis - An angry, violent alcoholic finds respite with a devout woman whose husband abuses her.
Positives - Tyrannosaur gives you a focused, unflinching look at a world most people...
6 tags
Film Rating: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close ————7/10
Directed by Stephen Daldry, Written by Eric Roth, Starring Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow and Jeffrey Wright
Fandango Synopsis- Oskar, who lost his father in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, is convinced that his dad left a final message for him somewhere in the city. Upon finding a...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #18 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #18. On the episode we review/discuss the Best Picture Oscar Nominee EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE, David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD and the Meryl Streep starring THE IRON LADY.
In the Feature Segment “Hanky Panky” we each chose a Tom Hanks film to discuss that we particularly enjoy. (My choice was PHILADELPHIA)
Of course we spend...
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Film Rating: Certified Copy
Certified Copy—————————————-5/10
A French Film Directed and Written by Abbas Kiarostami, Starring Juliette Bincohe and William Shimmell
IMDB Synopsis- In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged British writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano. While there, a chance...
5 tags
Film Rating: The Arbor
The Arbor——————————-6/10
A Documentary Directed by Clio Barnard, Starring Manjinder Virk, Christine Bottomley and Natalie Gavin
Fandango Synopsis- A mix of documentary and fictional elements tells the story of doomed playwright Andrea Dunbar, who wrote about the difficult life she endured growing up in England’s Bradford...
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Film Rating: A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method ————————————5/10
Directed by David Cronenberg, Written by Christopher Hampton, Starring Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel and Sarah Gadon
Fandango Synopsis- In 1904 a Russian woman named Sabina Spielrein arrives at Carl Jung’s clinic, seeking treatment...
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Film Rating: Carnage
Carnage ———————————————5/10
Directed by Roman Polanski, Written by Roman Polanski and Yasmina Reza, Starring Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly
Fandango Synopsis - After two boys duke it out on a playground, the parents of the “victim” invite the parents of the...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #17 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #17. On the episode we review/discuss the fantastic British spy film TINKER, TAILOR, SOLIDER, SPY, Chris Evans’ PUNCTURE, Marky Mark’s CONTRABAND and the indie darling ANOTHER EARTH.
In the Feature Segment “Up in Smoke” we each chose a film with lots of smoke (fires, cigars, marijuana, cigarettes etc) to discuss that we particularly enjoy....
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Film Rating: Rampart
Rampart ————————————————-5/10
Directed by Oren Moverman, Written by Oren Moverman and James Ellroy, Starring Woody Harrelson, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche and Brie Larson
IMDB SYNOPSIS- So meet Dave Brown, Brown is a cop long ago unleashed from the rules of the Los Angeles Police...
5 tags
Film Rating: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy ———-9/10
Directed by Tomas Alfredson, Written by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy
Fandango Synopsis- In 1970s England, Control, the head of MI6, dispatches a spy to meet with a Hungarian general who knows the identity of a Soviet spy within the...
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Film Rating: Puncture
Puncture—————————————7/10
Directed by Adam and Mark Kassen, Written by Chris Lopata, Starring Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, Marshall Bell, Brett Cullen and Vinessa Shaw
Fandango Synopsis- Mike Weiss is a talented young Houston lawyer and a functioning drug addict. Paul Danziger, his longtime friend and partner, is the...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #16 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #16. On the episode we review/discuss David Fincher’s THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, the critical darling THE ARTIST and Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse.
In the Feature Segment “Play Me Some Spielberg” we each chose a Steven Spielberg film to discuss that we particularly enjoy. (My choice was Close Encounters...
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Film Rating: War Horse
War Horse———————————————-4/10
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis, Starring Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Niehls Arestrup and David Thewlis
Fandango Synopsis- Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, “War Horse”...
December 2011
8 posts
5 tags
Film Rating: The Artist
The Artist————————————-7/10
Directed and Written by Michel Hazanavicius, Starring Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman and James Cromwell
Fandango Synopsis- In 1929, actor George Valentin is a bona fide matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest film, George finds himself falling in love with...
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Film Rating: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo——————-5/10
Directed by David Fincher, Written by Steven Zaillian, Starring Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard and Robin Wright
Fandango Synopsis- A disgraced journalist and a computer hacker unravel a horrific family history when they investigate the case of a woman who disappeared 40 years...
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My 10 Most Anticipated Film Releases of 2012
When the year comes near an end and I start looking at the film release schedule for the beginning of the year to come, it’s hard not to get depressed. There’s tons of seemingly uninspired crap films on their way, but I decided to dig a little and try and find some of the interesting stuff that the 2012 year in film may bring. I found some stuff to get me excited. Below I will list...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #15 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #15. On the episode we review/discuss the Brit sci fi film ATTACK THE BLOCK and the Werner Herzog Doc CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS.
In the Feature Segment “Merry Flicksmas” we each chose a film for another host to view that they have never seen and they then gave theirs thoughts. (My choice for Chad was DOG DAY AFTERNOON)
Of course we spend time...
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Film Rating: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Cave of Forgotten Dreams—————————5/10
A Documentary Directed by Werner Herzog
IMDB Synopsis- Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting.
Positives- This Documentary’s subject matter is...
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Film Rating: Attack the Block
Attack the Block——————————————-7/10
Directed and Written by Joe Cornish, Starring John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway and Nick Frost
IMDB Synopsis- A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.
Positives- ATTACK THE BLOCK had a cheesy 80’s sci fi look and feel to it...
5 tags
The Flicksation Podcast Episode #14 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #14. On the episode we review/discuss HUGO, THE DESCENDANTS, THE MUPPETS and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.
In the Feature Segment “Child’s Play” we all recommend a film we love that features a strong kid performance. (My choice was Shareeka Epps in HALF NELSON)
Of course we spend time discussing the most interesting recent film news and in the...
5 tags
Film Rating: The Muppets
The Muppets————————————-6/10
Directed by James Bobin, Written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, Starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Jack Black and Peter Linz
Fandango Synopsis- On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary and Gary’s girlfriend Mary from...
November 2011
14 posts
5 tags
Film Rating: My Week With Marilyn
My Week With Marilyn———————————-7/10
Directed by Simon Curtis, Written by Adrian Hodges, Starring Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench and Emma Watson
Fandango Synopsis- In 1956 England, Colin Clark lands a job as a production assistant on the set of “The Prince and the Showgirl,”...
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The Descendants
The Descendants————————————7/10
Directed by Alexander Payne, Written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, Starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Nick Krause, Robert Forster and Amara Miller
Fandango Synopsis- Native islander Matt King lives with his family in Hawaii. Their world shatters when a tragic...
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Film Rating: Hugo
Hugo——————————————————8/10
Directed by Martin Scorsese, Written by John Logan, Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley and Emily Mortimer
Fandango Synopsis- Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a train station...
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Film Rating: Beautiful Boy
Beautiful Boy—————————————-7/10
Directed by Shawn Ku, Written by Shawn Ku and Michael Armbruster, Starring Maria Bello, Michael Sheen and Kyle Gallner
IMDB Synopsis- A married couple on the verge of separation are leveled by the news their 18-year-old son committed a mass shooting at his college, then took his...
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Film Rating: Sarah's Key
Sarah’s Key—————————————6/10
A French Film Directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Written by Gilles Paquet-Brenner and Serge Joncour, Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Melusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup, Frederic Pierrot and Aidan Quinn
Fandango Synopsis- Sarah’s Key tells the story of an American Journalist...
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Film Rating: Bellflower
Bellflower—————————————-2/10
Directed and Written by Evan Glodell, Starring Evan Glodell, Tyler Dawson, Jessie Wiseman, Rebekah Brandes and Vincent Grashaw
Fandango Synopsis- Best friends Woodrow and Aiden spend all of their free time building MAD MAX-inspired flamethrowers and cars in preparation for a global...
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Film Rating: If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth...
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front——————7/10
A Documentary Directed by Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
IMDB Synopsis- A rare behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America’s ‘number one domestic terrorist threat.’
Positives- This Documentary covers...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #13 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #13. On the episode we review/discuss J EDGAR, TAKE SHELTER, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE and TERRI. (One of which I think is the BEST film of the year by far!) In the Feature Segment “Political Perfection” we all recommend a film we love that dips into politics in some form or another. (My choice was the perfect Charlie Chaplin film, THE GREAT DICTATOR)
...
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Film Rating: Terri
Terri———————————————————6/10
Directed by Azazel Jacobs, Written by Patrick Dewitt, Starring Jacob Wysocki, John C Reilly, Bridger Zadina and Olivia Crocicchia
Fandango Synopsis- A gentle giant of a teenager, Terri has been abandoned by his parents to an ailing uncle, is...
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Film Rating: Martha Marcy May Marlene
Martha Marcy May Marlene————————7/10
Directed and Written by Sean Durkin, Starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and Louisa Krause
Fandango Synopsis- After escaping from a cult, a young woman (Elizabeth Olsen) is haunted by her experiences there and fears that its vicious leader (John Hawkes) may be trying to find her.
...
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Film Rating: J Edgar
J Edgar—————————————————6/10
Directed by Clint Eastwood, Written by Dustin Lance Black, Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts and Judi Dench
IMDB Synopsis- As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and...
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Film Rating: Take Shelter
Take Shelter——————————————10/10
Directed and Written by Jeff Nichols, Starring Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart and Shea Whigham
Fandango Synopsis- Curtis LaForche lives in a small Ohio town with his loving wife and hearing-impaired daughter. Though money is tight, he and his family are very...
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Film Rating: Road to Nowhere
Road to Nowhere————————————-8/10
Directed by Monte Hellman, Written by Steven Gaydos, Starring Shannyn Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne and Dominique Swain
Fandango Synopsis- Filmmaker Mitchell Haven, shooting a movie about a real crime, casts an unknown actress who bears a disturbing resemblance to...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #12 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #12. On the episode we review/discuss The Rum Diary, Red State and Anonymous. In the Feature Segment “Write On” we all recommend a film we love that features a writer. (Mine was Bennett Miller’s Capote)
During the Quick Fix I give some thoughts on two 2011 films I adored, Submarine and Road to Nowhere as well as one I didn’t, Margin...