Films That Matter
Judge, Juror #2, and Executioner
This very well may be the shortest review I’ve ever written. Juror #2 (2024), Clint Eastwood’s most recent directorial effort (he also co-produces), very much leans on several legal dramas and thrillers from the past, most notably the classic 12 Angry Men, to great effect. Twisting the above mentioned film in clever fashion, in some ways, recovering alcoholic Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a stand-in for Henry Fonda’s Juror #8, as he too stands up for the man being charged with murder... the only difference is, he soon realizes that he knows a bit more about the case than the rest of the jurors (and even he originally thought). Though this is not a twist filled feature (à la Usual Suspects), much of its entertainment comes from watching it unfurl as it goes along – hence why very little of the plot will be disclosed here. It is also worth noting that, unlike 12 Angry Men, screenwriter Jonathan A. Abrams opens the story wide, allowing us to hear testimony, explore the crime scene, and discover actual truths we never got to see in the 1957 motion picture.
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This Tarnished Gringo Shines
Get the GringoJune 5, 2016Mel Gibson may not be the most popular actor out there now, but there is no denying that he has had one of Hollywood’s more impressive careers over the last three or so decades. He puts everything he has into his work and one of his most recent films that once again impresses, yet has sadly gone unnoticed, is the 2012 crime flick Get the Gringo. Mel Gibson plays the unnamed criminal with the heart of . . .
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Star Pick with G.J. Echternkamp
Ship of FoolsTime BanditsMay 31, 2016Hollywood studios have long used focus groups as a way to determine if audiences like a film. And, for just as long as they’ve been around, there have been complaints about them: ‘Who are the people who comprise the focus groups?’, ‘Do they have any insider movie knowledge?’, ‘Why are they more knowledgeable than the screenwriters and directors who have made the film?’, "Why are studios changing the ending of a movie just because a few random people disliked it?’.
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Bright Hope for the Western Genre
Bone TomahawkMay 27, 2016"This is why frontier life is so difficult. Not because of the Indians or the elements, but because of the idiots." Truer words may never have been spoken about the western genre; so many of these films seem to have their share of noble idiots who are unprepared yet undaunted by a seemingly impossible task. Though motion pictures featuring cowboys, sheriffs, bandits and the like have taken a downturn over the last several decades, there has been a small resurgence of quality independent westerns that have cropped up over the past year or so. One such movie (which is where the above quotation can be found) is the 2015 horror western Bone Tomahawk.
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Rollin’ on the River
MudMay 22, 2016Some stories feel as though they have been with us since the dawning of time. They deal with universal themes of love, coming of age, revenge and friendship. A film that feels like a modern retelling of a long since forgotten tale is the 2012 drama Mud. Clearly based upon Mark Twain’s yarns that feature Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the plot follows modern day youths Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) as they come of age on the Arkansas River (a tributary of the Mississippi).
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The Cat Came Back
The Cat Came BackMay 9, 2016As a child, I was enamoured with a kooky Canadian animated short film called The Cat Came Back. Available on VHS (for those of you too young to remember what this is, ask your parents) at my local library, I would take it out every time I entered the historic building. It is likely that I played a huge part in wearing down that cassette tape. Thanks to the National Film Board of Canada, who produced the flick, it is available for free on their website.
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Join the Madness
Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever ToldMay 1, 2016Though I consider myself well versed in most areas of film, I must say that I knew nothing about the horror cult classic Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told, until I began researching for my interview with Beverly Washburn, who starred in this quirky motion picture that was filmed in 1964, though it was only released in 1967 (due to issues with finances and poor distribution).
