Movies

Riding on the phenomenal success of the Twilight series and The Walking Dead, Warm Bodies, based on the novel by Isaac Marion, arrives just at a time when the public is ripe for a zombie version of “Beauty and the Beast.” That’s fortunate because this is one of the finer …

The films and personality of Quentin Tarantino both tend to have a polarizing effect on filmgoers, and 'Django Unchained' will most assuredly continue that tendency and for the same basic reasons.

A step forward from 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, Oz: The Great and Powerful is able to mix beautiful cinematography with a well-constructed story and well-developed characters. Where Alice failed, Oz comes on strong and is an example of what Disney should continue to do if the company decides to continually remake the classic …

Within superhero mythology there exists room for women to exhibit just as much power as men and be celebrated as well. Whether it’s Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Raven from Teen Titans, female superheroes are able to hold their own against powerful male (and female) super villains that threaten the world they vow to protect.

(**caution:  may contain spoilers**) There are two potential ways to view Cabin in the Woods, and two ways in which it may have been constructed, as entertainment or as criticism. It attempts to make the most of both and, unfortunately, is less for it. The concept of the film, established …

What are the ethical implications when a character like the Punisher is sanctioned by the state? Dredd, as entertaining as it is, leaves this unexplored.

Prometheus begins with a standard but solid literary SF premise - scientists searching for the origin of life - but ends in a typical sci-fi movie fashion.

Although, as with many Bonds, the globe-trotting middle portion drags, Skyfall is all the expected fun of the best Bonds, with a surprising amount of depth.

The Hobbit is a greater technical achievement than its predecessors (or successors really), but nowhere near matching their depth of story.

Looper has a sense of innovation and inventiveness that makes every new revelation pure enjoyment.

Laurie Strode in Halloween is another of the most remarkable final girls in horror cinema. Perfectly portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis (whose mother was no stranger to the genre), Laurie has the traits that one looks for when evaluating the well put together final girl.

What I love about Hellraiser is that while sure, Kirsty is given a love interest he doesn't serve much of a purpose. He doesn't drive the narrative. That is left to Kirsty, and he doesn't seem to be able to aid the heroine in any way throughout the film.

A Nightmare on Elm Street pits Nancy first against everyone around her who simply dismisses her as crazy and, second, against a larger than life villain who uses everything in the environment to manipulate, terrorize and confuse the heroine. And she holds her own without the aid of a man.