Category Archives: Reviews

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas should have gone back to White Castle

Posted on November 14, 2011 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

The Hangover made Warner Brothers half a billion dollars worldwide and became the comedy favorite of many, but it owes a serious debt to Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Before The Hangover posse woke up to a lion in their midst, Harold and Kumar rode a cheetah through the woods; random celebrity cameo from Mike Tyson? Neil Patrick Harris’ recent career revival is directly related to his cocaine cameo in the franchise’s first outing. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle was the reigning champion of surrealist, insane, shenanigan-filled movies. Which is why it’s so disappointing that despite a bigger budget and a chance to make up for the lack luster sequel Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, the boys still fail to live up to the hilarity standard they set in 2004. Continue reading →

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Tagged A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, Danny trejo, John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris

Melancholia – A Stark Fantasy of Depression

Posted on November 7, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

Lars von Trier made headlines earlier this year for his Hitler-sympathy gaffe at Cannes, and as a result, that controversy took up the bulk of the conversation. I can’t help but wonder what might have happened had he not spoken out of turn. We might have been more focused on the film he was representing at the Croisette, because truth be told, Melancholia is a devastatingly beautiful film from the famed provocateur. Continue reading →

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Tagged AntiChrist, cannes, depression, Kirsten Dunst, lars von trier, Melancholia

Kevin Smith completely reinvents himself with Red State

Posted on October 26, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

Kevin Smith has been making films for almost twenty years, generating a couple of films that hit critical pay dirt (Clerks, Dogma), a few that made cash and satisfied the converted (Clerks II, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), and others that achieved an almost cult status (Chasing Amy, Mallrats). Before bromance became a part of our lexicon thanks to Judd Apatow flicks, Smith was perfecting the model (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Clerks II). Considering Smith’s reputation, deeply entrenched within the bromance and dick jokes niches, it’s a dumbfounding discovery to find that his tenth film is a mature, nuanced look at the horrors of contemporary America.

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Tagged Horror, John Goodman, Kevin Smith, Michael Park, Red State, religious fundamentalist, social commentary, westboro baptist church

Moneyball eschews convention

Posted on October 17, 2011 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

You know that fall Oscar season is on the march when the “based on a true story” dramas start rolling out to your local cinema. Moneyball looks to be cashing in on this tired format, combining baseball with all-American star Brad Pitt as he tries to win the big game against all odds. Yet it refuses traditional trappings that are both pleasurable and middling. Continue reading →

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Tagged baseball, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Moneyball, Oakland A's, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Life with cancer not all tragedy in 50/50

Posted on October 4, 2011 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

The last time comedy was placed alongside cancer, it was called Funny People. Despite Funny People being a quality film, audiences were supremely annoyed that it wasn’t the usual Adam Sandler shenanigans but instead consisted more of drama than comedy. 50/50 should avoid the same sort of audience disdain, as it blends comedy and drama with equal measure. Continue reading →

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Tagged 50/50, Bromance, Cancer, Comedy, Seth Rogen, Will Reiser

Drive is the coolest film of the year

Posted on September 16, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 3 comments

Nicolas Winding Refn should be mandatory viewing for film nerds. The audacity and craftsmanship of his filmmaking put him on par with the likes of Darren Aronofsky (see Refn’s Bronson), but with a sense of subtlety (Valhalla Rising). Pair Refn with the magnetic Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl) and a high concept heist film that co-stars Bryan Cranston, and you have an unholy concoction of brilliant variables unseen since the release of the Double Down (with less heart disease). But this is far from an action film… Continue reading →

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Posted in Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged Bryan Cranston, drive, Heist film, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ryan Gosling

Hesher filled with Anarchy and Heart

Posted on September 12, 2011 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been building a name for himself as a dynamic, charismatic actor since 2005’s Brick. But in his latest role, Hesher, Gordon-Levitt goes deeper down the rabbit hole than ever before, playing a loathsome, repulsive character well enough for us to love him. It’s a film about grief and anger, but it illustrates how most of us refuse to show those emotions, and Gordon-Levitt’s character has the wonderfully cathartic ability to draw us out of it. The result is both heartwarming and vulgar. Continue reading →

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Tagged Animal Kingdom, Boudu Saved From Drowning, David Michod, DVD, Hesher, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson, Spencer Susser, Teorema

The New Generation of Comedy Filmmakers

Posted on August 19, 2011 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

Comedic auteurs are few and far between, or they were, until recently. The last decade has offered up so much fresh talent, as alluded to in my recent review of the second season of Eastbound and Down, that we seem to be in a veritable age of comedy. Somewhere between Judd Apatow’s ubiquitous productions, and Adam McKay’s strange blend of raunch and politics, for the first time in recent memory funny movies are becoming quite good. Continue reading →

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Posted in Articles, Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged Adam McKay, Best comedy directors, David Gordon Green, Edgar Wright, Greg Mottola, Jason Reitman, Jody Hill, Judd Apatow

The Best of 2011 so far

Posted on August 17, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

We’re a little more than half-way through the year and given the plethora of films I, Remington Smith, and writer co-hort Ben Creech, review, we thought it would be a good time to chat about our favorite films of the year so far. Here’s that conversation: Continue reading →

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Posted in News, Reviews

Tagged 13 Assassins, 2011, best of, Certified Copy, Drive Angry 3D, Film, Hanna, Hobo with a Shotgun, Of Gods and Men, Rango, Source Code, Stake Land, Super, Super 8, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Tree of Life, Troll Hunter, X-Men: First Class

30 Minutes or Less: Uncomfortable funnies

Posted on August 15, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

Any trailer that has a gag about a guy bringing a bomb to a school is the type of dark comedy I’m intrigued to explore. 30 Minutes or Less is a fun, race-against-the-clock ride, but it never gets into the black comedy its trailer suggests. Furthermore, the fact that it’s based on a real-life situation that yielded less than upbeat results does make you question the film’s moral compass. Continue reading →

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Tagged 30 Minutes or Less, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Jesse Eisenberg, Ruben Fleischer