May 2012
10 posts
5 tags
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie
Directed and Written by Tim Heidecker and Eric Warheim, Starring Tim Heidecker, Eric Warheim, John C Reilly, Twink Caplan and Will Ferrell
Fandango Synopsis - Tim and Eric are given a billion dollars to make a movie, but squander every dime … and the sinister Schlaaang corporation is pissed. Their lives at stake, the guys skip town in search of...
5 tags
Bernie
Bernie
Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth, Starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey
Synopsis - In small town Texas, the local mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when he kills her he goes to great lengths to create the illusion she’s still alive.
My Thoughts - BERNIE is a refreshingly odd...
5 tags
The Dictator
The Dictator
Directed by Larry Charles, Written by Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer, Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley and Anna Faris
Fandango Synopsis- The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
My Thoughts - I was initially very excited by the idea of Sacha Baron...
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Our Podcast is Up! Our Podcast is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #25. On the episode we review/discuss Tim Burton’s DARK SHADOWS and Sacha Baron Cohen in THE DICTATOR.
Our Feature DVD Segment is “Film Set in the 70’s” My pick was Robert Altman’s NASHVILLE.
Of course we spend time discussing the most interesting recent film news and in the “Quick Fix” we mention any other Films/TV we’ve...
5 tags
In Darkness
In Darkness
A Polish Film Directed by Agnieszka Holland and Kasia Adamik, Written by David F. Shamoon, Starring Robert Więckiewicz, Benno Fürmann, Maria Schrader and Herbert Knaup
Fandango Synopsis - Leopold Socha a sewer worker and petty thief in Lvov, a German-occupied city in Poland, encounters a group of Jews trying to escape the liquidation of the ghetto, and hides them for money in the...
5 tags
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Directed by Tim Burton, Written by Seth Grahame-Smith, Starring Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz and Helen Bonham-Carter
Fandango Synopsis - In 18th-century Maine, Barnabas Collins presides over the town of Collinsport. A rich and powerful playboy, Barnabas seals his own doom when he breaks the heart of a witch named Angelique. Angelique turns Barnabas...
5 tags
The Avengers
The Avengers
Directed and Written by Joss Whedon, Starring Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston
IMDB Synopsis - Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.
My Thoughts - THE AVENGERS has been a highly anticipated film for many for years and...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #24 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #24. On the episode we review/discuss John Cusack in THE RAVEN and the Box-Office Juggernaut THE AVENGERS.
Our Feature Segment is “Don’t Feed the Goats (or Van Dykes)”, where we each offer up film that features a Goatee. My pick was V FOR VENDETTA.
Of course we spend time discussing the most interesting recent film news and in the “Quick Fix”...
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The Flicksation Podcast: Join the Conversation! →
If you follow this blog, please check out The Flicksation Podcast I’m a part of as well!
flicksation:
We at The Flicksation Podcast would love to have more interaction and discussion with our listeners and followers, so here are the best avenues for that to happen.
“Like” the Flicksation Facebook Page . We post interesting news stories, film trailers, poll questions etc. and...
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The Raven
The Raven
Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare, Starring John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans and Brendan Gleeson
Fandango Synopsis - The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life - and death – in this stylish, gothic thriller. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe’s darkest works, a young Baltimore...
April 2012
9 posts
5 tags
The Hunter
The Hunter
Directed by Daniel Nettheim, Written by Alice Addison, Starring Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Drances O’Connor and Morgana Davies
Fandango Synopsis - A shadowy corporation sends a mercenary to Tasmania to track down a nearly extinct tiger whose genetic code holds the secret to a dangerous weapon.
My Thoughts - It’s a weak excuse, but the truth that my viewing of THE...
5 tags
We're Not Broke
We’re Not Broke
A Documentary by Victoria Bruce and Karin Hayes
IMDB Synopsis - An exposé on how the government has allow U.S. corporations to avoid paying taxes and the growing wave of discontent that it has fostered.
My Thoughts - I was able to catch WE’RE NOT BROKE at the Wisconsin Film Festival where the crowd adored it. It had played already at the Sundance Film Festival...
5 tags
The Flicksation Podcast Episode #23 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #23. On the episode we review/discuss some films that may not be on everyone’s radar, but should be. They are Bobcat Goldwthait’s social satire GOD BLESS AMERICA, Werner Herzog’s death penalty Doc INTO THE ABYSS and Willem Dafoe in THE HUNTER.
Our Feature Segment is ”Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi”, where we each offer up an...
6 tags
God Bless America
God Bless America
Directed and Written by Bobcat Goldthwait, Starring Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr
Fandango Synopsis - Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of American culture, which he sees as overrun with cruelty, stupidity and intolerance. Divorced, recently fired, and possibly terminally ill, Frank truly has nothing left to live for. But instead of taking his own life, he buys...
5 tags
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games
Directed by Gary Ross, Written by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks
Fandango Synopsis - Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger...
6 tags
The Snowtown Murders
The Snowtown Murders
Directed by Justin Kurzel, Written by Shaun Grant, Starring Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall and Louise Harris
Fandango Synopsis - Elizabeth Harvey is raising her three boys in Adelaide’s poor northern suburbs. After her latest boyfriend displays pedophilic tendencies she takes up with a new man, hoping for security but instead winds up welcoming an even more...
6 tags
Comic-Con: Episode IV - A Fan's Hope
Comic-Con: Episode IV - A Fan’s Hope
A Documentary Directed by Morgan Spurlock
IMDB Synopsis - A behind-the-scenes look at the fans who gather by the thousands each year in San Diego, California to attend Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic book convention.
My Thoughts - Morgan Spurlock’s COMIC-CON: EPISODE IV - A FAN’S HOPE is a film for a very limited audience....
6 tags
4:44 Last Day on Earth
4:44 Last Day on Earth
Directed and Written by Abel Ferrara, Starring Willem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh
IMDB Synopsis - A look at how a painter and a successful actor spend their last day together before the world comes to an end.
My Thoughts - 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH is a much more grounded, realistic and practical look at the end of the world than something like last years more heralded...
5 tags
The Flicksation Podcast Episode #22 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #22. On the episode we review/discuss De Niro and Dano in BEING FLYNN, Segel and Helms in JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME and the behemoth that is THE HUNGER GAMES
Our Feature Segment is”90’s Comedy Classics”, where we each offer up a 90’s comedy DVD pick. Mine was the Terry Gilliam Masterpiece FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, adapted...
March 2012
6 posts
5 tags
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Written by Michael Bacall, Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco and Rob Riggle
Fandango Synopsis - When cops Schmidt and Jenko join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go under cover as high-school students. They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, and set out to shut...
5 tags
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
Directed and Written by Jay and Mark Duplass, Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon and Judy Greer
Fandango Synopsis - When Jeff leaves his mother’s basement to buy wood glue at the store, he looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of unexpected and amusing events leads him to cross paths with his family, especially...
5 tags
Being Flynn
Being Flynn
Directed and Written by Paul Weitz, Starring Paul Dano, Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore and Olivia Thirlby
Fandango Synopsis - Nick Flynn is a young writer in the midst of trying to define himself. Though he misses his late mother, his father, Jonathan has been out of his life for 18 years. However, when Jonathan is in danger of losing his job and apartment, he reaches out to...
5 tags
Return
Return
Directed and Written by Liza Johnson, Starring Linda Cardellini, Michael Shannon and John Slattery
IMDB Synopsis - A soldier returns to her family, friends, and old job after a tour of duty, though she finds herself struggling to find her place in her everyday life.
My Thoughts - I wish I could find something in RETURN that would spark an impassioned response from me, but there is...
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The Flicksation Podcast Episode #21 is Up!
The Flicksation Podcast just posted Episode #21. On the episode we review/discussAlmodovar’s The Skin I Live In, The Best Foreign Language Oscar winner A Separation and Tony Kaye’s spectacular Detachment.
Our Feature Segment is “Hablas español?”, where we each give a Spanish Language DVD pick. Mine is a special film called Mondays in the Sun.
Of course we spend time...
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Download our Podcast!
flicksation:
We are very close to a nice little milestone with our film discussion podcast, so please head over to iTunes and give us a listen! The Flicksation Podcast
Give our podcast a shot! Please
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Detachment
Detachment
Directed by Tony Kaye, Written by Carl Lund, Starring Adrien Brody, Sami Gayle, Betty Kaye, James Caan and Lucy Liu
Fandango Synopsis - Henry Barthes is a substitute teacher who shuns emotional connections, and never stays long enough in one district to bond with his students or colleagues. Troubled and lost, Henry lands at a public school where an apathetic student body and...
February 2012
20 posts
6 tags
Join the Flicksation Podcast Discussions on...
I love the feedback via messages and comments discussing films I receive on Tumblr and hope they keep coming. That being said, I’d really be happy if some of my followers were to “like” The Flicksation Podcast on Facebook and join in the conversation. (If you weren’t aware, I am a panelist on every episode of the film review/discussion Flicksation Podcast)
You...
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The Secret World of Arrietty
The Secret World of Arrietty
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, Starring Bridgit Mendler, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett and David Henrie
Fandango Synopsis - Arrietty, a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper. Like all little people,...
5 tags
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Written by Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer, Starring Nicolas Cage, Violante Placido, Ciaran Hinds, Idris Elba and Fergus Riordan
Fandango Synopsis - While hiding out in Eastern Europe, Johnny Blaze must once again become the Ghost Rider when members of a secret church hire him to save a boy from...
5 tags
My Thoughts: Chronicle
Chronicle
Directed by Josh Trank, Written by Max Landis, Starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly and Ashley Hinshaw
Fandango Synopsis - Andrew is a socially awkward, introverted teen whose main form of escape and expression is a video camera. But things begin to change when Andrew, his cousin Matt and popular classmate Steve discover a mysterious substance that...
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...
5 tags
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...
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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...
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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/discussthe 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...
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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...