QUICKIES: Some Oscar-nominated 2013 movies

Here are my quick reviews of American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Dallas Buyers Club, Inside Llewyn Davis, Nebraska, Philomena, Rush, and Lee Daniels' The Butler.

QUICKIES: The Smiths before & 7 years later, and The Usual Suspects

Either I'm too lazy at the moment, or the movie does not deserve a full review. Here are my straight-to-the-point reviews, QUICKIES if you will, of AFTER EARTH, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, and THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

The hunt for courage, happyness, and Keyser Soze.

QUICKIES: Some 2013 movies

A group of retired crazy ass killers. Giant monsters and robots. And two movies with basically the same plot, same illogical twists & turns, and a "Jack Bauer/John McClane"-cloned protagonist to save the day.

Either I'm too lazy at the moment, or the movie does not deserve a full review. Here are my straight-to-the-point reviews, QUICKIES if you will, of RED 2, PACIFIC RIM, OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, and WHITE HOUSE DOWN.

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QUICKIES: A Home Security Salesman, A Rape Victim's Revenge, A Drug Dealer, and An Innovative Jerk

Either I'm too lazy at the moment... or the movie does not deserve a full review. Here are my straight-to-the-point reviews, QUICKIES if you will, of The Purge, I Spit On Your Grave (2010), We're The Millers, and Jobs.

THE PURGE (2013) 

Written & Directed by:  James DeMonaco
Cinematography:  Jacques Jouffret
Starring:  Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Rhys Wakefield
Running Time:  85 mins
Budget: $ 3 million
Box Office: almost $ 90 million (which is why they're making a 2014 sequel)

The idea is fascinating, the potential is huge, but this film is ultimately nothing but a missed opportunity. Murderous yuppies in freaky masks, wielding machetes & all that government-approved crap, wreak havoc in search of a homeless black guy who they deem to be purge-material. The ideas explored are thought-provoking and interesting, but instead, it just became another generic home invasion thriller that may have a few good moments, but that's about it. Overall, it's just another cliched thriller filled with gaping plotholes and eye-rolling scenes or plot devices. Eugenics The Movie. Uh huh. 

And those masks! Ugh. It may have worked in The Strangers, but in here, it just makes me want to suckerpunch the smirk off of their arrogant faces. And what's up with that ugly RC baby doll camera? Surely there's something less conspicuous (and prettier) than that?

I'm curious though, who are the New Founding Fathers of America? ;)

My Rating: 1.5/5 - A movie deserving to be watched for its intelligent ideas, but also deserving of the low ratings because of its failure to express & explore.

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QUICKIES: "ALIEN" Marathon

It's a cold, rainy day here and what better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to have a movie marathon of one of the most successful Hollywood franchises ever made? Eight hours & twenty minutes of space ships, aliens, chestbursters, humanoids, alien face-hugging, aliens being sucked into space.... oh and yeah, Sigourney Weaver. Almost 9 hours of sitting/lying/squatting/gymnastics in the couch drained me yes, but seeing Weaver kick alien ass, oh it was so worth it. Three things that kept me watching: Ripley, the humanoids, & the aliens.

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"Sometimes the scariest things come from within"

QUICKIES: Orphan, Rosemary's Baby, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Bad Teacher

My quick reviews of these four films.