Double Dipping: Sinister and Butter

Film: Sinister

Starring: Ethan Hawke (Brooklyn's Finest)

Director: Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose)

Genre: Horror


Scott Derrickson's Sinister finds its way to theatres everywhere this weekend, and the R-Rated horror film doesn't disappoint. Ethan Hawke stars as Ellison Oswalt, a struggling true crime novelist who has failed to match the acclaim from the first book he wrote nearly 10 years ago. While relocating his family closer to the scene of the crime, Ellison purposely omits the fact that they're actually purchasing the home where an entire family was murdered (with the exception of one daughter who has gone missing).

Sinister follows in the wake of other supernatural horror movies we've grown to appreciate over the past decade such as The Ring and The Woman in Black. Ethan Hawke is a more than qualified actor and his performance certainly gives a sense of validity to the film. Furthermore, Derrickson (who also penned the screenplay) does a fantastic job of dropping subtle hints all along the way to the movie's satisfying conclusion. Although Sinister finds itself developing in the mold of horror flicks we've seen before, the scares are frequent and the story is creative enough to separate itself as its own entity.

Despite a sense of originality and some quality scares, Sinister has a few noticeable downsides. The film slowly progresses its plot through the use of constant redundancy. The audience dives deeper and deeper into the story through the use of "found footage" by Hawke's character. And no matter how terrifying these reel to reel images are, there's still a massive sense of repetition involved with Sinister. But all in all, Sinister's glowing aspects far outweigh its deficiencies. Thus making Sinister a rather enjoyable horror flick that I recommend seeing.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B





Film: Butter

Starring: Jennifer Garner (Juno), Olivia Wilde (People Like Us) and Yari Shahidi

Director: Jim Field Smith (She's Out of My League)

Genre: Comedy


I first came across Jim Field Smith's Butter almost one calendar year ago at the 20th annual Philadelphia Film Festival. As a late entry, Butter's credits rolled to an overwhelming applause by the surprisingly satisfied crowd. Like me, many other moviegoers in attendance really didn't know what to expect from the comedy. But without a doubt, we were all satisfied with one of 2012's funniest films.

Butter follows Laura Pickler (played by Garner) and her butter-carving legend of a husband Bob (played by Modern Family's own Ty Burrell). When the butter-carving community respectfully asks Bob to step away from competition to make way for the next great sculptor, whoever that may be, Laura goes on the offensive and decides to take up the hobby herself. Refusing to give up the glory that comes along with being the wife of the greatest butter carver in the world, Laura enters the competition. In a quest for keeping the gold medal in her family, Laura's only roadblock is an African American foster child named Destiny (played by Shahidi).

As a valiant challenger to Ted as the year's most politically incorrect film, Butter gets by on an over-the top screenplay and a constant ambush of outlandish scenes. The satire is a well paced 90 minute joy ride that never bores. Although the R-Rated comedy progresses nicely, it attempts to squeeze in a rather sentimental side as well. But it's easy to look past the schmaltz and recognize Butter for what it truly is, a fun-filled viewing experience.

Don't be alarmed by the rather poor reception that Butter has received. Despite the lack of critical acclaim, Butter is a hilarious comedy that finds itself alongside some of the year's best. Mainly available on Video on Demand, you won't be let down by this rental. So if you're spending the night sitting in and looking for something funny to watch, I highly recommend giving Butter a chance.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B

Hitchcock Trailer

As a very late entry in the upcoming Award's Season chase for Best Picture, Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock has finally introduced itself to the world. With the trailer we're greeted by an aging Alfred Hitchcock (played by Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (played by Helen Mirren) as they overcome obstacle after obstacle to bring to life one of cinema's greatest films, Psycho. Hitchcock is due for a late-November limited release in the U.S., but you can check its trailer out below.

Seven Psychopaths

Film: Seven Psychopaths

Starring: Colin Farrell (Total Recall), Sam Rockwell (Conviction) and Christopher Walken (Kill the Irishman)

Director: Martin McDonagh (In Bruges)

U.S. Release: October 12th, 2012 (Rated R)

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 109 minutes


We've all heard the phrase, "sophomore slump" before. It often refers to a sub-par second performance given by an athlete, author or even a Hollywood director. After a successful Oscar Nominated effort for his debut film In Bruges (albeit for its screenplay), Martin McDonagh returns with his follow up feature Seven Psychopaths. Boasting a star-studded cast with the likes of Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Woody Harrelson, it goes without saying that McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths is anything but a "sophomore slump".

Marty (played by Farrell) is struggling with the screenplay for his next movie "Seven Psychopaths", but with the right kind of inspiration it could be a masterpiece. Yet, when Marty gets caught up in a dog-napping fiasco with his best friend Billy (played by Rockwell) and Billy's partner in crime Hans (played by Walken), escaping a maniacal cold blooded killer like Charlie (played by Harrelson) may be all the inspiration Marty needs.

Seven Psychopaths is the type of imaginative and twisted off-the-wall comedy that resonates with audiences for a lifetime. Behind the creative genius of writer and director Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths gets by on a clever script, crafty dialogue and a collection of gifted actors. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of McDonagh's second feature is his ability to engineer multi-dimensional characters that the audience naturally clings to. Through the use of brilliant narrative and an onslaught of hysterical scenarios, Seven Psychopaths becomes a timeless comedy that clearly requires multiple viewings. Another aid in developing such strong characters comes from the versatile ensemble that McDonagh brings together. Most notable is Sam Rockwell who offers up an Oscar-style performance as Marty's best friend and dog napper extraordinaire, Billy. Rockwell takes control of the feature and commands the audience's attention with every precisely timed punchline and perfectly branded nuance. Despite Rockwell's elevated level of performance, Seven Psychopaths succeeds because of the entire collective work of its talented cast. The manner in which Christopher Walken, Colin Farrell and Woody Harrelson feed off of Rockwell and each other is nothing short of groundbreaking. Their witty back and forth banter is absolutely hysterical and almost rhythmic. McDonagh manages to bring together a cast for the ages and a script that's perfectly complementary to this group of actors. And as a result, Seven Psychopaths finds itself as this year's best comedy.

In order to find any blemishes with McDonagh's second effort, you really have to get nit-picky. One obvious flaw rests in the complete lack of realism to the story and its circumstances. However, we're dealing with a comedy here so, in retrospect, how believable does the film really need to be? In fact, one of the most admirable qualities of Seven Psychopaths is its ability to transcend normalcy and take you to a world far crazier than the typical movie experience. Furthermore, a more unforgivable flaw occurs in the brief post-credits scene that McDonagh unfortunately decides to include in the film. This short-lived pay phone scene is awkward, strange and all together out of place. Completely unnecessary, it's worth noting that the director could have done without that one. Otherwise, Seven Psychopaths is a wild, energetic and insanely fun time.

Many writers and directors find difficulty in elevating their work after a successful debut. McDonagh not only reaches the same level as his first feature In Bruges, he far exceeds it. Seven Psychopaths only reaffirms McDonagh's creativity and ingenuity among Hollywood's best and brightest, illustrating that the writer/director has a long and prosperous career ahead of himself. Seven Psychopaths is never short on laughs and the comedy proudly sets the bar for its genre. Superbly original, Seven Psychopaths hits theatres everywhere on Friday October 12th and it's definitely the type of laugh out loud experience that you won't want to miss.


Stars: 3 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: A-

Double Dipping: Arbitrage and House at the End of the Street

Film: Arbitrage

Starring: Richard Gere (Brooklyn's Finest), Brit Marling (Another Earth) and Susan Sarandon (Jeff, Who Lives at Home)

Director: Nicholas Jarecki

Genre: Drama/Thriller


After a successful showing at this year's indie-packed Sundance Film Festival, Nicholas Jarecki's Arbitrage is a fitting film for our country's current economic situation. Arbitrage follows a hedge fund magnate named Robert Miller (played by Gere) who seemingly has it all. As we are introduced to Miller on his 60th birthday, the successful businessman and devoted patriarch appears to be living the American dream. However, we soon catch a glimpse into the darker side of Miller's life where an adulterous affair and dirty accounting tricks to protect his company's image show a desperate man. When a terrible accident leads to potential homicide charges, the financial guru needs to outsmart a local investigator (played by Tim Roth) who's right on his trail.

Jarecki's thriller Arbitrage is a well paced independent film loaded with top tier acting and a solid screen play. Taut in every way imaginable, you can't helped but get sucked into this venomous story of greed and murder. Gere, along with supporting cast such as Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth and rising star Brit Marling, help elevate Arbitrage to the upper echelon of its class. In addition to the well rounded cast, Arbitrage boasts a constantly progressing plot with smart and crafty dialogue. This is hands down one of the most refined screenplays of the year. Fitting to the times we're living in, Arbitrage is still playing in select theatres and available on Video on Demand. This gripping financial thriller is clearly worth checking out.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B





Film: House at the End of the Street

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Elisabeth Shue (Hope Springs)

Director: Mark Tonderai (Hush)

Genre: Horror/Thriller


While it feels difficult to classify House at the End of the Street as a horror film, I have to accept the genre for what it has regrettably become. The slasher films of old have been pushed aside as Hollywood has paved way for the newer PG-13 style horror/thriller that is commonly marketed to a teenage audience. Business suits and dollar signs have stolen my beloved genre and replaced it with mediocre slop such as House at the End of the Street. While I will begin by saying that House at the End of the Street is by no means the worst of its brand, the feature still offers no redeeming qualities. Centering on a broken mother/daughter relationship, the new style horror flick follows Elissa (played by Lawrence) and Sarah (played by Shue) as they upgrade into a rural, more suburban, neighborhood. Living in what can only be described as the house of their dreams, they discover that everything isn't perfect with their new home. Unfortunately, their neighbor's house was the setting for a brutal murder a few years back. And even worse, secrets still remain there.

Director Mark Tonderai's House at the End of the Street is cheap on scares and attempts to be far more creative than is ever needed. The good old fashion horror scares have been replaced by diluted thrills and an abundance of plot lines that are completely unnecessary. Hollywood has become consumed by its obsession with giving a purpose and meaning to everything and everyone. Whatever happened to classics such as John Carpenter's Halloween? Why can't we just have an escaped mental patient looking to murder for no reason at all (recall that the secret behind Michael Myers and Laurie Strode isn't revealed until the sequel)? There's an obvious lack of creativity in the horror genre and all these lackluster attempts at reinventing the wheel end up falling flat on their face. The latest such release, House at the End of the Street, proves to be no different. Despite its talented lead actress, Jennifer Lawrence, and her most valiant efforts to deliver something worthwhile, House at the End of the Street is just another stereotypical run-of-the-mill teen horror flick. By missing this one, you aren't missing anything at all.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C

Trailers: Broken City and The Guilt Trip

Academy Award winner Russell Crowe and Oscar Nominee Mark Wahlberg return to the big screen in the crime thriller Broken City. Wahlberg stars as an ex-cop trailing the wife of New York City's Mayor (played by Crowe), who ultimately finds himself caught up in a much larger scandal. Scheduled to hit theatres in January 2013, you can check out the trailer for Broken City below.





On a much lighter note, the trailer for Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand's mother/son comedy The Guilt Trip has been released. While attempting to sell his latest invention, Rogen stars as an amateur inventor who decides to take his single mother (played by Streisand) on the cross country business trip. Filled with laughs galore, you can check out the trailer for the Christmas release The Guilt Trip below.

Argo

Film: Argo

Starring: Ben Affleck (The Town), Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Bryan Cranston (Drive)

Director: Ben Affleck (The Town)

U.S. Release: October 12th, 2012 (Rated R)

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Runtime: 120 minutes


Sometimes it's easy to forget, but Ben Affleck already has an Oscar win under his belt. He took home a Golden Statue in 1998, along with co-writer Matt Damon, for his Good Will Hunting screenplay. But despite his early career honor as a screenwriter, Affleck has managed to find his niche in the director's chair. With a phenomenal debut in the form of 2007's Gone Baby Gone and a successful follow such as The Town, Affleck quickly found himself among the elite directors in Hollywood. However, with his third directorial effort, Argo, slated to hit theatres everywhere on Friday October 12th, Affleck graces us with his finest work to date.

Set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 when militants scaled the fences and stormed the U.S. Embassy, Argo follows CIA exfiltration specialist Tony Mendez (played by Affleck) and the efforts he put forth in rescuing six Americans who escaped the kidnapping. While these six men and women discreetly took shelter in the Canadian Ambassador's house in Tehran, the U.S. and Canada were in a race against time to try to rescue them covertly.

Ben Affleck's Argo is a flawless instant classic that molds together brilliant direction, a dynamic screenplay and skilled acting. At the helm of the feature, Affleck uses editing techniques such as quick cuts to help build the action and suspense throughout the duration of the film. Furthermore, the director intertwines real life footage with his own reenactments, and the similarities are amazing. Affleck truly makes you feel as if you're reliving the horrific standoff. Through his efforts, he creates an aura of authenticity that's vital to the success of the film. He's quickly proven that he's a visionary director with a keen appreciation for detail. I've become very impressed with his work and I firmly place him among Hollywood's finest. In addition to Affleck's directorial efforts, perhaps screenwriter Chris Terrio is the unsung hero behind Argo. Boasting the smallest of credentials, Terrio crafts a screenplay for the ages. Using the most precise combinations of comedy and drama, Argo perfectly fluctuates between a tension-filled thriller and a surprisingly lighthearted affair. Argo is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with come Awards Season. Its strengths begin with the foundation of its script and flow all the way to the top with the vision of its director, Ben Affleck.

Another commendable aspect of Argo is the extraordinary cast used to bring this astonishing true story to the big screen. Led once again by Ben Affleck as the film's central character Tony Mendez, Argo actually sees its most shining characters in the form of its supporting cast. Most notable is a shoe-in Oscar worthy performance given by Alan Arkin. Arkin stars as Hollywood Producer Lester Siegel who helps generate buzz for the fake movie being used in Mendez's covert operation. He gives a performance every bit as strong as his Oscar Nominated turn in 2007's Little Miss Sunshine. Arkin and his onscreen counterpart John Goodman are used like chess pieces to complement Argo's more compelling moments. Goodman, who portrays real life Hollywood Makeup Artist John Chambers, teams up with Arkin to provide quick wit and jocular dialogue essential to balancing out the ebb and flow of the movie. In addition to the pair of funny men, Bryan Cranston gives a stellar standout performance as Jack O'Donnell, Tony Mendez's boss in the CIA. To Argo's benefit, Affleck makes the right decision by never attempting to take over the screen. While the wise actor/director shines when it's needed, ultimately he allows the film's interesting plot lines to lead the way. In doing so, he gives his colorful supporting cast every opportunity to fill in all of the empty spaces and completely round out the feature.

All in all, Argo is an amazing true story that manages to translate perfectly to the big screen. Affleck goes above and beyond both of his previous efforts and offers the best film I've seen in years. Argo is a faultless masterpiece and sure to make some noise in the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor categories at the 2013 Oscars. Arriving in theatres nationwide on October 12th, Argo is the "must-see" picture of the year. Be sure not to miss it.


Stars: 4 stars out of 4

Grade: A+