Tag Archives: James Franco

Hail Caesar! Rise of the Planet of the Apes seizes summer

Posted on August 8, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

Frequently, films of the big budget sort have issues because the men with money don’t respect the filmmaking process. When building a skyscraper you don’t rush it to completion – otherwise you get catastrophic results. The same goes for visual storytelling, in which character development will never happen if you don’t allot the appropriate amount of time to build a connection with the audience. Rise of the Planet of the Apes respects this, which is why it’s the surprise blockbuster hit of the summer. Forget Thor or even the decent Captain America, this film may even be better than Harry Potter 7 Pt 2. Not bad for a bunch of damn dirty apes. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged Andy Serkis, James Franco, Planet of the Apes, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Weta

Your Highness unfortunately unfunny

Posted on April 9, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

Your Highness in a nutshell: It’s like a 13 year-old boy wrote a script because he thought: “Wouldn’t it be funny if there was a Medieval-themed fantasy film with swearing and jokes about blowjobs?!” You’ll chuckle the first few times they do this, but the novelty wears thin quickly. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Reviews

Tagged Comedy, Fantasy, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Your Highness

Howl: Poem, Trial, Documentary

Posted on January 20, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

It seems that 2010 was destined to be the year of the fake documentary. The film world was buzzing with questions regarding the validity of the big three, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Catfish, and I’m Still Here, but somehow Howl, which never purports to be as factual as the others, fell by the wayside. This film, about the obscenity trial for Allen Ginsberg’s titular landmark poem, achieves the impossible: it is a documentary of things past. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Reviews

Tagged Documentary, Howl, James Franco

127 Hours

Posted on November 25, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

It might surprise you that Danny Boyle’s latest film 127 Hours has a message suitable for this holiday season–beyond the suggestion to cut off your own arm to escape the ~~death trap~~ family dinner table. Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle, Drama, Film, James Franco, Millions, Slumdog Millionaire, Sunshine, Trainspotting, True Story

Full trailer for Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours”

Posted on October 9, 2010 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

There has already been a teaser trailer for 127 Hours, so this is the first full length trailer. I would like to persuade you though: if you’re a die-hard Boyle fan, just wait to see the film. If you’re genuinely curious about the film, go right ahead. I just feel that trailers give too much and there’s something to be said for going into a movie mostly blind. It’ll feel fresher if you haven’t already seen it on a tiny laptop screen a month ago.

127 Hours Trailer: Danny Boyle’s Latest

Posted on August 25, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

The director of Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and Slumdog Millionaire has a new film coming out in the fall starring James Franco, 127 Hours. It’s based on the experience of Aron Ralston, the guy who had to amputate his own arm after becoming trapped under a boulder in Utah.