Category Archives: Film Criticism

Review: 3D Adds Nothing To “Phantom Menace” Re-Release.

Posted on February 12, 2012 by jlmicek

You kind of saw this one coming, didn’t you? You can slap a new coat of paint on it, but it’s impossible to escape the fact that “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” is not a very good movie at all. … Continue reading →

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Review: “-30-” (USA, 1959)

Posted on February 5, 2012 by jlmicek

Name: -30- Release Date: 1959 Writer: William Bowers Director: Jack Webb Cast: Jack Webb: Sam Gatlin William Conrad: Jim Bathgate David Nelson: Earl Collins Whitney Blake: Peggy Gatlin Louise Lorimer: Lady Wilson James Bell: Ben Quinn Nancy Valentine: Jan Price … Continue reading →

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Film Bits: More Movie Writing Across The Web.

Posted on January 27, 2012 by jlmicek

Good Morning, All. It’s raining and cold here in Pennsylvania, so here’s a steaming hot serving of some of the best in movie writing from around the WordPress-o-Sphere. You guessed it: It’s time for another installment of FilmBits. The Droid … Continue reading →

Posted in action, comedy, drama, Film Bits, Film Criticism, Film News, Golden Age of Cinema, Listomania | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Raiders From Beneath the Sea (USA, 1964)

Posted on January 22, 2012 by jlmicek

Name: Raiders From Beneath the Sea Release Date: 1964 Writers: Harry Spalding, F. Paul Hall (story) Director: Maury Dexter Cast: Ken Scott: Bill Harper Merry Anders: Dottie Harper Russ Bender: Tucker Booth Colman: Purdy Garth Benton: Clifford ‘Buddy’ Harper Bruce … Continue reading →

Posted in B-Movies, Film Criticism, Film Noir, Noir, Reviews, thriller | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

John Carter: Big Giant Hit Or A Bomb?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by jlmicek

The Wrap asks the question that many of us  (like me) have about Disney’s big-budget adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter” stories. Namely, will it be a hit/ Will audiences plunk down their $7.50 or $9.50 or $1,423.57 (if … Continue reading →

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An Appreciation: Dying’s Easy. Comedy Is Hard.

Posted on January 9, 2012 by jlmicek

Where have all the comedians gone? I bring this up because the other night I was watching “Man on the Moon,” the 1999 biopic of the late Andy Kauffman, starring Jim Carrey as the improv comedian. If you only know … Continue reading →

Posted in comedy, Film Criticism, Our Films, Ourselves, Thinking About Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” Reconsidered.

Posted on January 2, 2012 by jlmicek

Is there any female character in modern film as immediately identifiable as Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s?” A half-century on from its original release, director Blake Edwards’ adaptation of the Truman Capote novella continues to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books On Film, drama, Femmes Fatale, Film Criticism, Film News, Thinking About Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

To Be A Dad: What Hollywood Gets Wrong (And Occasionally Right) About Fatherhood.

Posted on December 23, 2011 by jlmicek

Where Have All The Good Dads Gone? This question occurred to me as my wife and I sat down the other night to watch the Farrelly Brothers’ 2011 comedy “Hall Pass.” If you haven’t seen it, the movie covers the … Continue reading →

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Filmdom’s Best Foot Chases.

Posted on November 28, 2011 by jlmicek

The folks at Empire have one of the best lists I’ve seen in a while: The best foot chases in all of cinema. Here’s one from “Kung Fu Hustle.” You can read the full list of 37 best chases here. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Bits, Film Criticism, Film News | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Duck And Cover: Hero Complex Asks Whether “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Is Overrated.

Posted on November 27, 2011 by jlmicek

Oh boy … here’s one that’ll get the fanboys a-rioting. With the 30th anniversary of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” upon us, the folks at Hero Complex tackle a thorny question: Is the warmly remembered film of our youth actually … Continue reading →

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