Monthly Archives: February 2011

Best Horror and Sci-Fi of 2010

In my family’s house, horror films were  a staple.  Fright Night, The Monster Squad, and the genre-mashing Big Trouble in Little China were family staples, fascinating as much for their special effects as for the worlds they explored. As Ben Creech once commented, horror and sci-fi are cousins to the fantasy genre, and I would have to concur.  These genres, traditionally looked down upon by critics and award shows, create fantastic worlds that aren’t always welcoming, but are nonetheless amazing feats of construction.

The following are some horror and sci-fi films of 2010 that are remarkable for the ways in which they play with the trappings of their genre.  In other words, they do something that’s refreshing.  Gather a posse and chow down on some cool cinema.  (Click on the title to read my full review) Continue reading

Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’?

After the world was exposed to the documentary I’m Still Here, many wondered what would become of Joaquin Phoenix . Turns out he may become a Vampire Hunter instructor. Continue reading

Sex and Comedy in ‘Elektra Luxx’ Trailer

Carla Gugino has played an array of roles over the course of her film career: caring wife in The One, superhero in Watchmen, probation officer in Sin City, spy-mom in Spy Kids, a forensics specialist in Righteous Kill, and an upcoming role in the Zack Snyder film Sucker Punch. But there may be one performance you haven’t heard of, her role as an ex-porn star.

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‘The Roommate’ Set To Be A Collegiate Guilty Pleasure

I can already see the words critics will use to describe director Christian E. Christiansen’s new film The Roommate: awful, trashy, smut, horribly predictable, misogynistic, unrealistic, stiff acting, and cliché. And you know what? That’s okay.

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2010 Staff Picks

Separate from our post on the Best of 2010, the Staff Picks below represent the films on our Top Ten lists, but were not on anyone else’s list here at The Filmsmith.  Continue reading

DVD Tuesday: The Tillman Story resonates

2011 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers, a moment in our nation’s history that spurned a fervent cry of patriotism that could be heard the world round. One such patriot was Pat Tillman, a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, who turned down a $3.6 million contract to enlist in the Army. When news came back that he had been shot in combat, a heroic story was told of how he had saved several lives in his refusal to leave men behind, and after their rescue was shot by a stray bullet. This is what the military told his family and the media. This is not what happened.  Continue reading

Christopher Nolan Talks About ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Christopher Nolan has always been strict about secrecy, and his forthcoming Batman film is no exception. But it it seems that he is finally ready to talk a it about the sequel everyone is waiting to see, The Dark Knight Rises.

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