Tag Archives: The Road

Character trumps mindless action in The Grey

Posted on February 1, 2012 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

The Grey star Liam Neeson and director Joe Carnahan have both been living it up in Hollywood productions for the last several years. Neeson continues to pop up as some grizzled badass who will kill your childhood puppy, and Carnahan has been making zany slick action flicks like Smokin’ Aces and A-Team after making a big splash in 2002 with his gritty cop drama Narc (Ray Liotta, Jason Patric). With The Grey, Carnahan and Neeson both return with less pomp and more dramatic flavor. Continue reading →

Stake Land the great American vampire tale

Posted on August 5, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 4 comments

It’s not often that a genre film doesn’t realize that it’s a genre film. A comedy plays within the conventions of its niche and most horror films do the same. Daybreakers is one of the best vampire films since the 1980’s unleashed Fright Night and The Lost Boys because, like its forerunners, it knows how to play to the genre trappings as intelligent entertainment. That’s usually the best horror fans can expect from the genre. But films like The Blair Witch Project, Let the Right One In or Stake Land treat a horror tale like a drama and not a creature feature – which makes it all the more frightening. Continue reading →

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Posted in Filmsmith Faves, Reviews

Tagged coming of age, Drama, Horror, post-apocalyptic, religious fundamentalism, road movie, Stake Land, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Road, Vampires

6 Films to Celebrate Winter

Posted on December 21, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

Today is the first official day of Winter, commonly known as the Winter Solstice. Around this time there’s a deluge of Christmas films dulling your ears on television – but what about films with Winter as a central character?

The Thing

You can’t mention Winter and not have The Thing listed as John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film is still quintessential viewing. A cadre of men on an Antarctic expedition are slowly annexed by an alien being. Both the cramped quarters of the camp and the empty snowscape let you know: “You’re on your own, buddy.” Without the option of running to the authorities, the frigid environment makes it all the more unsettling when the shapeshifting alien crops up to snack on some man flesh. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Filmsmith Faves, Lists, Reviews

Tagged Band of Brothers, Documentary, Fargo, John Hillcoat, Nanook of the North, The Road, The Thing, Touching the Void, Winter, Winter Solstice

The Oscars: What You Need to Know

Posted on March 5, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

Just so you know, the Oscars are not a good gauge for “Best Film” or “Best Director” since people who have no experience with a certain category weigh in on that craft (actors can vote for best set design; writers on directors). You also can’t join just by paying dues, but have to be voted in by other Oscar voters.

And of course, Oscar doesn’t like to give high marks to films coming from animation (other than slipping them into the “Best Animated Film” ghetto so they don’t usually get to compete for “Best Picture”), sci-fi, foreign, or horror.

Basically, it’s a giant publicity event where producers and distributors try to make some money in ticket and DVD sales before the summer blockbusters hit. Continue reading →

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Posted in Articles, News

Tagged Cinema, District 9, Film, Film Industry, Funny People, Inglourious Basterds, Movies, Oscars, Precious, The Blind Side, The Road, Up, Up in the Air, Where the Wild Things Are

The Road

Posted on January 10, 2010 by The Filmsmith | 3 comments

One of the original The Road posters.

Ever since seeing the Coen Bros.’ film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel No Country for Old Men, I’ve been dying to see his post-apocalyptic novel The Road receive the same treatment. Because what’s more silver screen than a film about the end of the world and the ensuing hunger, cold, and cannibals? Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged Charlize Theron, Cormac McCarthy, Film, John Hillcoat, Movie, post-apocalyptic, Robert Duvall, The Road, Viggo Mortensen