January 2012
5 posts
1 tag
50/50 Review
By: T.J. “No one likes putting a dick in their mouth” Mulligan
We’re all going to die. This is not news to anyone, let alone those with enough cognitive capacity to access the internet and read a review for a movie about cancer. In fact, the internet has done much to alter our views of death. Not only do we know that we will one day croak, but we can obsess over every...
1 tag
Rear Window (1954) Review
By: T.J. “I don’t know how many times I chased down leads based on women’s intuition” Mulligan
If you’re like me you have a fairly active imagination. You’re driving down the road and up ahead you see a medium-sized canvas bag. Most likely it’s filled with clothes or something equally innocuous and haphazardly fell out or off of someone’s...
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Tinker Tailor Solider Spy Review
By: Joshua “I don’t know about you George, but I’m feeling seriously under-fucked!” Richey
The spy film subgenre is as popular as it’s ever been thanks to films like Mission Impossible and The Bourne Identity; but it’s been a while since we’ve seen a good old fashioned spy film, a film that doesn’t involve car chases, well placed one-liners and beautiful women. Thomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor...
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Midnight in Paris Review
By: Joshua “ Nostalgia is denial. Denial of the painful present” Richey
There are those that are quick to dismiss Woody Allen films based purely off the fact that they’re Woody Allen films. I can see that, I suppose. Allen has always had a unique approach to filmmaking that you either appreciate or that just isn’t for you. I’d say that it’s a very shallow way to judge a film, but...
Movies on Film's Top 11 Films of 2011
Now that 2011 is officially in the books, T.J. and I thought that we would look back at the films that we thought were the best of 2011. Here’s our top 11 of 2011.
11.) Hobo with a Shotgun (review)
“It’s cheesy; it’s corny; it’s gory; it’s retarded; it’s absolutely fantastic.”
Score: 4 ice skates to the chest out of 5.
10.) Trollhunter
“Dazzling special...
December 2011
4 posts
1 tag
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Review
By: Joshua “Soon you’ll know us all too well, with my apologies” Richey
Nearly every review for David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo compare it to either Steig Larsson’s award winning novel or Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 film by the same name. That won’t be the case here. I’ve not read Larsson’s books nor have I watched Oplev’s highly praised film adaption. I am, however, a huge fan of...
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A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas Review
By: T.J. “I’m not going to let you rape my friend on Christmas Eve” Mulligan
Few genres have seemingly less in common than that of the stoner comedy and the Christmas/Holiday movie. The former usually includes raunch and/or gross-out humor, immature jokes and excessive drug usage and nudity, found in such cinematic offerings as Dude, Where’s My Car?, Jay and Silent Bob...
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The Muppets Review
By: T.J. “maniacal laugh… maniacal laugh…” Mulligan
By the time the closing credits to 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall started rolling across the screen, a few things were made abundantly clear: A) Jason Segel was a runny man who could write a funny movie, B) Jason Segel was a funny man who could star in a funny movie and C) Jason Segel was a funny man who could...
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Hugo (2011) Review
By: T.J. “If you ever wonder where your dreams come from, look around; this is where they’re made” Mulligan
Major motion picture production is an over 100 year-old process. Think about that; that’s over a centuries worth of work, stories and history all captured on film, preserved for the world to see. It has been an art form and a way of life for so many people for so...
November 2011
4 posts
1 tag
Attack The Block Review
By: Joshua “I don’t want no chlamydia” Richey
Attack The Block is a film that’s had a lot of buzz surrounding since its limited release here in the United States. It’s the type of buzz that Hollywood usually has to dish out millions of dollars in order to generate. Unless you’re reading this in the UK or in one of the country’s largest cities, there’s a very good chance that you haven’t got a...
10,000 FOLLOWERS!
Just want to take a minute to thank you all for following Movies on Film. We surpassed 10,000 followers over the weekend, which I’m guessing is totally going to impress our friends and family.
Thanks for the support!
1 tag
The General (1926) Review
By: T.J. “If you lose this war don’t blame me” Mulligan
It’s quite amazing when one thinks about just how long the motion picture industry has been around. To put it into some perspective most people alive today have never seen a film released without spoken dialogue (unless it was done for artistic or budgetary reasons). What once was adamantly thought of as the only...
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Friends with Benefits Review
By: T.J. “Bananas in the refrigerator? What are you, Puerto Rican?” Mulligan
For anyone still grappling internally with the concept let me spell this out for you: being friends with benefits with someone usually does not work out well. It just doesn’t. Yet, despite the thousands of times it’s been represented in movies and television shows and the thousands of times it...
September 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Drive Review
By: Joshua “My partner is a belligerent asshole with his back up against a wall, and now, so am I” Richey
Drive is a film that is unlike any other that you’ll see this year. It’s a hard film to describe really. Telling someone about Drive can only result in you sounding like a crazy person. It’s a throwback, yet it’s also a breath of fresh air. It’s a love story, yet it’s also a...
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The Grapes of Wrath Review
By: T.J. “wait a minute, buddy, you just done some jackassin’” Mulligan
The family unit, struggling against the odds to create a new life after their old one has been forcibly ripped away. It’s the stuff of great dramatic storytelling, sure, but it was an all too real fact in Depression-era America. Individuals and families disseminated from their homes, forced to...
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Modern Times Review
By: T.J. “we’ll get a home, even if I have to work for it” Mulligan
When the era of the silent film began ending people were fearful of what these type of changes to film could mean for the medium itself. Some balked at the bawdiness of the idea - the thought that a film wasn’t living up to it’s artistic purpose as a visual form if sound was involved as well. ...
August 2011
6 posts
1 tag
The Time Traveler's Wife Review
By: T.J. “it’s a… real circus” Mulligan
Being an ardent movie fan means making certain sacrifices every once in a while. For me, usually all I want to watch is something devastating that will make me reevaluate the world, something with lots of explosions and little plot or something that makes me laugh and forget about the everything for a while. Concurrently, there...
1 tag
The Resident Review
By: Joshua “I followed you home” Richey
Juliet (Hilary Swank) is a young doctor that’s coming off a bad breakup with her boyfriend. While searching for a new place to live in New York City, Juliet comes across a gigantic apartment that she loves but fears is out of her price range. The landlord, Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), informs her that the place is only $3,700 a month, and...
1 tag
Cowboys & Aliens Review
By: Joshua “Don’t yank on it, it’s not your pecker” Richey
For a film that features James Bond and Han Solo battling aliens in the Wild West, Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens is a bit of a letdown. Now when I say that it’s a letdown you probably think that I’m saying that it’s bad. That’s not necessarily the case. It’s just that this film was supposed to be (pardon...
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review
By: T.J. “Why cookie Rocket?” Mulligan
In a struggling economy the safest bet is to stick with the familiar. If you’ve found a way to keep or even make yourself a little extra money, why not return to that well? However you have to be careful with this theory as returning too often could deplete your resources, or it could have been what got you into the messy state...
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North by Northwest Review
By: T.J. “the moment I meet an attractive woman I have to start pretending I have no desire to make love to her” Mulligan
Mistaken identity is a formula that’s been at use in Hollywood filmmaking for generations. Along with amnesia (itself a form of identity disassociation), this formula represents an easy way to take an everyday person out of their routine and thrust them...
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Captain America: The First Avenger Review
By: T.J. “I’m not gonna kiss you” Mulligan
In 2008, Marvel Entertainment began a march into cinemas that has since shifted the landscape of the superhero film. Much like in the comics from which they originate, Marvel began to set their films in similar locations and populate them with characters and objects that would appear in a number of different films. Starting with...
July 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Horrible Bosses Review
By: Joshua “You ever watch that show Gossip Girl? I fingered myself so hard to that Penn Badgley the other night that I broke a nail” Richey
For those of you that are still recovering from the disappointment that was The Hangover 2, Horrible Bosses may be just what the doctor ordered. It’s a film that provides the non-stop laughs that many of us were hoping to get out of The Hangover but also...
1 tag
Donnie Darko Live Blog
By: T.J. “sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion” Mulligan
Requested by: thepriesttheycalledhim
I remember finding out about this movie in the summer of 2003. I had just graduated high school and my friend Mike mentioned that he had heard a lot of chatter regarding this film from friends who had seen it. One night while walking around a Meijer, basically just...
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review
By: T.J. “where are you taking my bunny?” Mulligan
I think it is time for a personal confession: I don’t hate Michael Bay. Sure, from all of the interviews I’ve read and seen from him and all the comments I’ve heard him make he seems like a bit of a douche and I probably wouldn’t be fast friends with him personally. As a filmmaker, however, more often than...
June 2011
4 posts
1 tag
Green Lantern Review
By: Joshua “To infinity and beyond?… By the power of Grayskull?” Richey
I’ve got a confession to make: I walked into a screening of The Green Lantern tonight wanting to hate it. I was wanting nothing more than to walk out of that theater tonight laughing and mocking it like I did on the opening night of Transformers 2. You see, to me, the Green Lantern character – like most of DC’s...
1 tag
Super 8 Review
By: T.J. “so what, I just wait here like a douche” Mulligan
There was once a time in the cinematic world when a single name would send theater-goers into a tizzy. If this man’s name was attached to or at the helm of a film it was guaranteed to be a blockbuster. His films were amazing not just in the size and scope of what appeared onscreen, but the depth and breadth of the...
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X-Men: First Class Review
By: Joshua “It’s a mutation. It’s a very groovy mutation.” Richey
[WARNING: I’m a hardcore X-Men fanatic. 90% of this review will involve me showcasing how big of a nerd I am. If you want to skip all of that and just see my review, feel free to scroll down to the bottom.]
When it comes to the X-Men, I guess you could say that I’m somewhat pathetic. As a kid, it’s normal to become...
1 tag
The Hangover Part II Review
By: T.J. “I don’t get it, is this a magic show” Mulligan
In 2009 The Hangover was the runaway success story of the comedic cinema world. Made on a budget of $35 million, positive word of mouth and critical lauding led droves of people around the world into the cineplex to witness what others had been talking about. This sort of action (and reaction) led to The Hangover...
May 2011
6 posts
1 tag
Everything Must Go Review
By: Joshua “What happened? Life happened.” Richey
When you attend an independent film festival such as the one that TJ and I attended last month in Tribeca, you don’t expect to see movies with actors such as Will Ferrell in them. When you think of Ferrell, you think of his obnoxious comedies, not independent dramas. But every once in a while, Will takes on a role that showcases that...
1 tag
Bridesmaids Review
By: T.J. “You’re really doing it. You’re shitting in the street” Mulligan
Ah, the “chick flick.” It is a dreaded term that, once uttered in reference to a film, can cause a large chunk of the potential audience to immediately turn the other way. It’s a defining case of cinematic prejudice but, really, can you blame those who commit it? Most chick...
1 tag
The Bleeding House Review
By: T.J. “at least she’s not out doing drugs” Mulligan
We’ve all seen it before: a big house, the peeling paint displaying its age, located at the end of a dirt road; nothing to see on all sides but dark woods and open fields of overgrown grass; the kind of place people go when they don’t want to be around others, or when they don’t want others around them. ...
1 tag
Thor Review
By: Joshua “I need a horse” Richey
While Thor has been one of Marvel Comic’s most iconic characters since he first appeared in Journey into Mystery back in 1962, the character has never been able to make the leap to live-action film until now. The reasoning for this has been somewhat understandable. Thor isn’t a billionaire that dons robotic armor or a bat suit; he wasn’t bitten by a...
1 tag
The Guard Review
By: T.J. “what a beautiful fuckin’ day” Mulligan
Don fucking Cheadle.
On Monday, April 25, 2011 myself and Joshua Richey, my friend and this site’s co-contributor and editor, arrived in New York City to attend the Tribeca Film Festival. As this was our first time in New York and first time attending a film festival, let alone as press, we were a bit caught up in our...
1 tag
Catching Hell Review
By: T.J. “the wheels fell off” Mulligan
Fandemonium can drive people to crazy lengths. Music fans will spend days on end standing out in inclement weather just to hear a band play at a festival, Twilight fans have permanently marked their bodies with tattoos honoring their favorite characters, hell, even film fans across the country continue to frequently give up their Saturday...
April 2011
8 posts
Movies on Film does Tribeca
For the next week, the Movies on Film crew will be in New York City for the Tribeca Film Festival. You’ll hear about our journey and the films that we saw upon our return; but, real quick, we just wanted to thank you, the Movies on Film readership.
This couldn’t have happened without you.
On Febuary 16th, the Tribeca Film Festival Press contacted us and asked us to submit...
1 tag
Scream 4 Review
By: T.J. “don’t fuck with the original” Mulligan
Sometimes you just want to see someone get fucking murdered.
Those of us who are fans of the slasher genre live by this credo, and we all have our favorite perpetrators: Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Chucky. About 15 years ago a new name was added to this malicious list of homicidal malcontents:...
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Hobo with a Shotgun Review
By: Joshua “When life gives you razorblades, you make a bat covered in razorblades” Richey
With the release of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 film Grindhouse, the directors held a competition in which they asked people to create and submit fake movie trailers (done grindhouse-style) and the winner would have their trailer attached to the film. Jason Eisener’s submission, a...
1 tag
To Live Review
By: T.J. “little idiots from big idiots grow” Mulligan
Raising a family is tough work. Just watch any movie ever made about the subject or, better yet, talk to the members of your own family. Being a part of a family means being intimately involved in another person’s life to a point where the smallest action on your part can have huge ramifications on theirs. There’s...
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Some Like It Hot Review
By: T.J. “I want another cup of coffee” Mulligan
There are quite a few staples of classic Hollywood comedy films, thematic elements that are sure to get a laugh at least simply from their use alone. People falling down or getting hit, characters of immense yet innocent ignorance, and cross dressing. While there are examples of films in which women dress as men, there just...
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Suspiria Review
By: T.J. “I once read that names which begin with the letter “s” are the names of snakes!” Mulligan
*Note: I wrote this as an analysis piece for a World Cinema class I’m currently taking. Thus, the structure is different from my usual posts and I reveal more aspects of the plot than I regularly try to. Long story short: SPOILERS AHEAD.
In 1977, Dario Argento...
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Touki Bouki Review
By: T.J. “white women with their diseases” Mulligan
Everybody’s got their story to tell. This mantra extends to people of all walks of life, from all cultures. Throughout history people have attempted to not only get their specific stories and experiences out into the world, but also to tell said stories in manners unique to their ways of life. Medieval England used lyrical...
March 2011
14 posts
1 tag
Mystery Team Review
By: T.J. “oh fuck, the Mystery Team” Mulligan
Derrick Comedy has been a common term thrown around amongst my group of friends for some time now. Their online shorts are never short of being wildly absurd and always guaranteed to be funny. I have spent many a night on their Youtube page watching different sketches over and over, cracking up at each one and finding new reasons to...
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Sucker Punch Review
By: Joshua “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything” Richey
My biggest complaint with real movie critics is that they’re completely removed from the people in which they’re supposed to be speaking for. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been completely baffled that the Roger Ebert’s and Leonard Maltin’s of the world have been quick to dismiss films because...
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Sweet Home Alabama Review
By: T.J. “you can’t ride two horses with one ass, sugarbean” Mulligan
Almost everyone has heard the old cliche “you can’t go home again.” It remains such a popular saying because, in many ways, it is very true. Sure, given the right means and the determination to actually do so anyone can visit the places in which they grew up, see the sights that shaped...
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Memories of Underdevelopment Review
By: T.J. “you have beautiful knees” Mulligan
It’s no secret that films in general are classified by their genres. Lethal Weapon, Kill Bill and X-Men are three uniquely different movies, but all fall under the umbrella genre of “action.” Other notables are drama, comedy, horror, documentary, family and so on. Just because a film easily fits into one of these...
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Red State Review
By: T.J. “shut the fuck up” Mulligan
Tolerance is a tricky word that is thrown around often and has both negative and positive connotations. In one way, it is good to have tolerance for your fellow man; if you dislike what they do, even to the point of hating them for it, having tolerance allows you to just turn a blind eye and let what will be, be. However, why should people...
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Paul Review
By: Joshua “What if we wake up and find him inserting a probe into our anus?” Richey
When you saw the trailers for Paul and seen that the beloved Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were teaming up for another movie, you probably couldn’t help but to be concerned when you didn’t see Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright’s name attached. A lot of people automatically dismissed this film for...