Archive for the ‘At the Movies’ Category

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10-21-2011

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Now Playing: Third ‘Paranormal’ Still Lacking in ‘Activity’

Now Playing: Third ‘Paranormal’ Still Lacking in ‘Activity’

Why the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise has been such a big hit is beyond me. I get why ‘Saw’, ‘Final Destination’ and many of the horror movies of old went on to receive multiple sequels. They are (or were) build upon fresh, creative and original ideas. But none of the ‘Paranormal’ films has done anything new or exciting. The first one simply took an idea from ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and set it in a home with two annoying characters. Not only was it completely unoriginal, uninspired and unwatchable, now there are two more sequels just like it that don’t bring anything new to the already empty table. Why do these keep getting made, and (more importantly) why do audiences keep eating them up? Continue Reading

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10-19-2011

22
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“Trilogy” Doesn’t Mean What It Used To

“Trilogy” Doesn’t Mean What It Used To

A lot of people out there love Michael Bay and his movies, but the guy has a history of telling half-truths or outright lies to create buzz and fill theater seats. Now he’s been caught in another one.
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10-18-2011

20
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R.I.P. Motion Picture Film

R.I.P. Motion Picture Film

It’s the end of an era – or very nearly so. The major manufacturers of motion picture cameras have all discontinued production of film-based cameras to focus exclusively on digital cameras. Nostalgic cinephiles will no doubt shed a tear at the loss, but will general audiences even notice?
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10-17-2011

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The Trailer Park: Martial Arts Action

The Trailer Park: Martial Arts Action

Quite a few films from the Far East are being released from now until the end of the year. The biggest are likely those from Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the latter of whom actually has two movies hitting theaters. In today’s edition of The Trailer Park, we look at two films which haven’t received nearly as much attention, but look just as visually interesting and entertaining.
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Weekend Box Office: A Light Opening for the Newcomers

Weekend Box Office: A Light Opening for the Newcomers

During this odd weekend, all three major openers either played softly or bombed miserably. Most moviegoers attended older releases, while two-, three- and four-week-old movies dropped no more than 30% from last weekend’s numbers. Perhaps audiences just don’t want to see remakes and fluffy films?
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10-14-2011

32
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Weekend Roundtable: Movies Actually Worth Remaking

Weekend Roundtable: Movies Actually Worth Remaking

We all know how much Hollywood loves remakes. This week alone sees the release of two remakes of ’80s classics. While most remakes are superfluous at best, and downright insulting at worst, rare cases do exist where remakes are justified, and may even offer improvement over a flawed original film. For this week’s Roundtable, we’re offering up our suggestions for movies that deserve a shot at a proper remake treatment.
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Weekend Movies: Two Remakes and a Film for Senior Citizens

Weekend Movies: Two Remakes and a Film for Senior Citizens

I honestly haven’t a clue as to which film will take Number One at the box office this weekend. I can tell you which one deserves it, but horror movies generally don’t appeal to all audiences. Continue Reading

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Now Playing: This ‘Big Year’ Is for the Birds

Now Playing: This ‘Big Year’ Is for the Birds

If you know anything about ‘The Big Year’, you’ve probably asked yourself, “How can a movie about birding (a.k.a. bird-watching) be entertaining?” Well, it can’t. It’s not. And as you may have assumed, it’s about as much fun as bird-watching – unless that’s what you’re into.
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Now Playing: Cut Loose by Not Seeing ‘Footloose’

Now Playing: Cut Loose by Not Seeing ‘Footloose’

Some people believe that God occasionally intervenes and tries to stop us from making mistakes. When the projector at my ‘Footloose’ screening broke, causing the show to start 80-something minutes late, I should have taken that as divine intervention, warning me to exit the theater immediately. Considering how much mental preparation it took to get there that they in the first place, I knew that I’d never make it to another screening if I bailed. So, I stuck around out of an obligation to offer you, The Bonus View readers, honest reviews of as many movies as possible. I should have followed the omen and left you in the dark, because ‘Footloose’ is terrible.
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Now Playing: A Remarkable ‘Thing’ – A Remake/Prequel Worthy of Praise!

Now Playing: A Remarkable ‘Thing’ – A Remake/Prequel Worthy of Praise!

John Carpenter’s 1982 ‘The Thing‘ is revered as one of the best horror movies of all time. For those who hold the film with such high esteem, rest assured that the remake (also titled ‘The Thing’) does not blaspheme nor tarnish the image of the original. Instead, it builds upon the first film, enhances what you know, and perfectly fills in some blanks along the way. It’s not necessary to know the ’82 version in order to enjoy the new one, but it sure makes the new one a whole lot more fun if you do.
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