OEDIPUS WRECKS or DADDY DEAREST: Movie Review of Guardians of the Galaxy by Howard CasnerVol. 2
Posted: May 23, 2017 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, James Gunn, Karen Gillian, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana | 3 Comments »
First, a word from our sponsors: I wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to our Indiegogo campaign for 15 Conversations in 10 Minutes. We did very well due to you folks. For those who weren’t able to give, keep us in your thoughts. And if you are able to contribute in the future, contact me and I’ll tell you how. I will even honor the perks on the original campaign.
I am now offering a new consultation service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? FosCheck out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
and check out my Script Consultation Services: http://ow.ly/HPxKE
Warning: SPOILERS
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is superior to the fun and frolicsome first entry in the franchise if, for no other reason, than the casting of Kurt Russell, former Disney waif turned cult actor, who has managed, somehow, to bridge the cinematic generation gap (previously by appearing in Furious 7, now by becoming a Marvel supervillain) and, like Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games, become relevant again.
And Quentin Tarantino certainly hasn’t hurt his career any.
And it’s also interesting that it is happening just as his significant other seems to be doing the same by co-starring in the more successful than expected Amy Schumacher vehicle, Snatched.
I’m always ready to spread out the welcome mat for Russell and here he seems to be having the time of his life playing a maniacal psychopath with a God complex (appropriately named Ego no less) and the powers to back it up.
IT’S A DISASTER: Movie Reviews of The Magnificent Seven and Deepwater Horizon by Howard Casner
Posted: October 4, 2016 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Akira Kurosawa, Antoine Fuqua, Battle Beyond The Stars, Byung-hun Lee, Chris Pratt, Colby Parker, Deepwater Horizon, Ethan Hawke, Gabriel Fleming, John Malcovich, Jr., Kurt Russell, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sensmeier, Matthew Michael Carnahan, Matthew Sand, Nic Pizzolatto, Peter Berg, Peter Sarsgaard, Richard Wenk, Steve Jablonsky, The Magnificent Seven, The Seven Samurai, Vincent D’Onofrio, Washington | 9 Comments »For questions: hcasner@aol.com
First, a word from our sponsors: I wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed to our Indiegogo campaign for 15 Conversations in 10 Minutes. We did very well due to you folks. For those who weren’t able to give, keep us in your thoughts. And if you are able to contribute in the future, contact me and I’ll tell you how. I will even honor the perks on the original campaign.
I am now offering a new consultation service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? FosCheck out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
and check out my Script Consultation Services: http://ow.ly/HPxKE
Warning: SPOILERS
Two films have opened as of late which have disaster in common. One falls into that genre and one almost is one.
There is one transcendent moment in the most recent version of The Magnificent Seven. It comes at the end as the credits begin by showing each of the characters. At this point, behind them, one can here the incredibly epic score by Elmer Bernstein from the 1960 version. It’s stirring, splendid, glorious, stunning…
Unfortunately, this tiny fraction of the movie only really ended up serving one purpose: it clearly reminded the audience of the earlier version, and not to the benefit of the present one, and only went to show how bland and uninteresting the music is when it comes to James Horner and Simon Franklin’s score for this Western remake of a remake (yes, it apparently took two people to come up with something so dull). Read the rest of this entry »
A BIT SHORT: The Big Short and The Hateful Eight
Posted: December 23, 2015 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Adam McKay, Brad Pitt, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum, Charles Randolph, Christian Bale, Damian Bichir, Ennio Morricone, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Melissa Leo, Michael Lewis, Michael Madsen, Quentin Tarantino, Ryan Gosling, Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Carrell, The Big Short, The Hateful Eight, Tim Roth, Walton Goggins | 1,890 Comments »First, a word from our sponsors: I am now offering a new service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
and check out my Script Consultation Services: http://ow.ly/HPxKE
Warning: SPOILERS
The Big Short, like Spotlight, is the one of those movies ripped from the headlines—of years and years ago; but this time the subject is not pedophile priests, but the downfall of the American economy. Written by Charles Randolph and the director Adam McKay, from a book by Michael Lewis, it’s also a very satisfying bit of agitprop theater with Brechtian distancing devices thrown in for good major.
It basically tells the story of four different groups of people who all realized, more or less at the same time, and years ahead of schedule, that the housing mortgage bubble was going to burst in 2007 and destroy the world’s economy.
This leads to the movie’s major irony: the people who figured this out then proceed to invest heavily against the U.S. economy, making tons of money when their Cassandra like prediction of doom came true.
So basically, we in the audience, along with the characters in the movie, find ourselves and themselves actually hoping that the U.S. financial system tanks like the Titanic. Read the rest of this entry »
THE THRILLERS OF IT ALL, PART DEUX: Movie reviews of Furious 7 and Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter by Howard Casner
Posted: April 9, 2015 | Author: Donald | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Chris Morgan, David Zellner, Djimon Hounsou, Dwayne Johnson, Furious 7, Gal Gadot, James Wan, Jason Statham, Jordana Brewster, Kumiko, Kurt Russell, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nathan Zellner, Paul Walker, Rinko Kikuchi, the Treasure Hunter, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel | 433 Comments »First, a word from our sponsors. Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out my new e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year, and my film reviews of 2013. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r
and check out my Script Consultation Services: http://ow.ly/HPxKE
Warning: SPOILERS
Okay, I admit it. It got me. Furious 7, the latest entrée in the fast car, not so fast women (the film is surprisingly family focused) franchise, and its tribute to the late Paul Walker brought more than a wee tear to my eye.
How could it not?
However, before I go into any more detail here, full disclosure: I have never seen a Fast and Furious movie before.
That’s right. Zip. Nada. Not a single one.
So, take that into account before taking seriously anything I have to say.
Furious 7 is, well, let’s face it: it’s ridiculous, often cheesy, over the top, clunky. In fact, one could make a sound argument that it’s really not a very good film at all.
Still, it’s a ton of fun. It more than gets the adrenaline going. It has so much electric energy that if someone had a heart attack in the theater, the movie alone could get the organ pumping again. Read the rest of this entry »
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