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| BITCHSLAP STATS |
| Movies Listed: |
24749 |
| Total Ratings: |
242555 |
| Total Reviews: |
25830 |
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| GREAT GATSBY, THE (2013) |
"Project X in 1922"
Daniel Kelly says... "Published the guts of a century ago in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” has in the decades since been upheld as the very pinnacle of modern American literature. Operating as a roaring piece of escapism, an involving drama and pointed critique on the dangers of hedonism, “The Great Gatsby” is a marvellous work of fiction, thoroughly deserving of its high standing in the 20th century cultural pantheon. Several filmed adaptations have been attempted since the 1920s (most notably the sedate 1974 version penned by Francis Ford Coppola), but none have managed to fully compress all of Fitzgerald’s motifs and delicate stylistic touches into a unified cinematic product. Enter Baz Luhrmann. The flamboyant Australian may have initially seemed like an odd fit for Fitzgerald’s prose, but the film-maker uses his lust for excess to tremendous effect in “The Great Gatsby”. A sumptuous banquet of audio and visual treats, the adaptation delivers an incredibly immersive experience, thanks in no small part to strong casting and an intelligent preservation of the text’s key motifs." (more)
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| STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS |
"Spoilers ahead--you've been warned."
Brett Gallman says... "Upon witnessing the Enterprise’s recovery from a perilous situation in “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Zachary Quinto’s Mr. Spock remarks that there are no such thing as miracles. However, just four years ago, he practically starred in one—by nearly all means, J.J. Abrams’s reboot of the then-moribund “Trek” franchise was at least a minor miracle in its ability to not only resurrect the series but to also do so in spite of a weak script. With this follow-up, Abrams seems to have resigned himself to this business; this time, though, he’s less miracle-worker and more of a one-trick magician, and his powers aren’t quite as potent." (more)
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| STORIES WE TELL |
"Take This Waltz Instead"
Peter Sobczynski says... ""Stories We Tell" is the most difficult kind of movie for a film critic to write about. This is not to suggest for an instant that it is a bad movie by any means--it is already one of the very best films of the year to date and I am fairly confident it will retain that position when 2013 comes to a close. The problem is that this is one of those films that is best experienced, at least the first time around, by knowing as little about its subject matter as possible before going in. Obviously, I would not dream of supplying any specific information that could be construed as a spoiler in the course of this review but I fear that I may have already said too much despite not really saying much of anything. Therefore, even though I shall be pressing on in my praise for this extraordinary film, my recommendation to you would be to put down this review and go see it right now because I can almost guarantee that, with the possible exception of "To The Wonder," you will not find a better movie playing anywhere at this moment.!" (more)
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| STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS |
"Where Is V'GER When You Need It?"
Peter Sobczynski says... "Whether or not you enjoy "Star Trek Into Darkness," the twelfth big-screen installment of the seemingly endless science-fiction franchise, will depend to a large extent on what sort of expectations you have going into such a thing. If you are simply looking for a slick, effects-heavy extravaganza filled with chases, explosions and fistfights, it should prove to be more than satisfactory. On the other hand, if you are still laboring under the impression that "Star Trek," at least in its classic form, represents something a little more ambitious and thoughtful than that--that it was a sci-fi narrative that derived as much excitement from the idea of seeking and discovering new worlds and civilizations as it did from the standard action beats--then this film will come across as a wildly derivative and largely inert sequel that is more interested in blowing things up and borrowing heavily from its own past than it is in finding a new manner of honoring those ideals." (more)
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| TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM |
"Folks who deserve to be up front."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT THE 2013 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON: I kind of wish "Twenty Feet from Stardom" hadn't just come out and said that the story of backup singers is the evolution of popular music over the last fifty years, from gospel-trained black voices pushing stiff WASPs out of the spotlight to hyper-layered multitrack recording creating technical perfection at the cost of spontaneity. Oh, it tracks, right down to Phil Spector being a great producer but a human turd, but I was feeling so good about having figured that out myself a few minutes earlier. And while someone who actually knows something about music may disagree with this thesis, they'd be hard-pressed not to enjoy the stories of the talented ladies (mostly) used to illustrate it." (more)
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| IN A WORLD... |
"Could probably use some great trailer narration itself."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT THE 2013 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON: Funny thing; even when trailers starting with "in a world..." supposedly happened all the time, I don't ever recall hearing it enough to snicker when it did show up. Still, the very fact that people act like it was ubiquitous makes it a good title for a comedy set in the competitive world of voice-over narration - the audience knows exactly what it's about when they hear the name. It's a shame, then, that the movie itself doesn't always seem quite so clear on what it's trying to accomplish." (more)
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| WILLOW CREEK |
"Bobcat & Bigfoot."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT THE 2013 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON: Ever since "The Blair Witch Project" kickstarted the boom in found-footage horror a decade and a half ago, there's been a tendency to make the form ever more elaborate, until the likes of "Cloverfield" and "Trollhunter" are basically special effects blockbusters in disguise. Every once in a while, though, someone strips the form back down to its roots, and Bobcat Goldthwait does a damn good job of it with "Willow Creek"." (more)
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| SOME GIRL(S) |
"Might be a good play, but as a movie..."
Jay Seaver says... "SCREENED AT THE 2013 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON: Based upon Daisy von Scherler Mayer's film version, "Some Girl(s)" is a play with a rather tortured premise, and I suspect that actors who like a challenge are drawn to it for that. Sure, Neil LaBute gives them all the words they could want, but it's ultimately on them to make it work. It's a fairly daunting challenge, and one that may work better on stage than screen." (more)
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CRITICWATCH - THE NOT-SO-GREAT QUOTE WHORES OF WARNER BROS.
by Erik Childress |
| "This week, Paramount did the unthinkable. They announced in many markets across the country, including Chicago, that their tentpole summer film, Star Trek Into Darkness, would not be screened until late Wednesday night on May 15. When I say late, I mean 9:00 PM (at least in Chicago.) This does not happen. It's already a big question mark given the film's May 17 release date. It's an outright WTF when the film opens in IMAX theaters on that same May 15 date. (Including Chicago.) That means that, technically, it is no longer a press screening. How can it be when paying patrons can plunk down inflated IMAX prices for a showing an hour earlier. All this despite the film being screened for select press and a full junket in London just last weekend. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 2 sits at 89% at Rotten Tomatoes yet the loudest voices have been about the mixed reviews and outright negatives. Maybe next time Paramount will consider showing the film to those who don't have the biggest mouths." (more) |
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'GOD WAS HERE BEFORE THE MARINE CORPS, SO YOU CAN GIVE YOUR HEART TO JESUS, BUT YOUR ASS BELONGS TO THE CORPS!'
- Hartman, Full Metal Jacket
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