If I remember correctly, the general response to news of a Total Recall remake was simply: why?  Remakes, reboots and re-imaginings are all the rage these days, so therein lies the answer.  Even the original was based on established material.  First came Phillip K. Dick’s short story, We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.  Then we got the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle that dealt with that whole Mars story.  Which leads us to the new version, starring Colin Farrell that came out last weekend.  Obviously there will be comparisons made because anything that is based on previously established material is prime fodder for comparisons and criticisms.  But I can’t really compare this newer version to the others that came before it.  I have never read the short story, and to be honest, it’s been so long since I’ve seen the 1990 Paul Verhoeven version, that all I can remember aside from Mars, is the bulging-eye part.  I went into this film blind to its predecessors, which to me, is an advantage.  So the question is, was it actually any good?

(Beware….minor spoilers ahead…..)

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Some musicals work (Hairspray, Glee) and some don’t (Cop Rock).  Some decades work, and some don’t.  Combing a musical with a decade that shouldn’t have worked and you could have something that’s either Wylie Coyote level genius, or just plain horrific.  Rock of Ages could go either way, but I’m not holding my breath for genius.

Continue reading “Break Out the Ripped Jeans and Aquanet. The Rock of Ages Trailer Has Arrived.” »

I’ve been reading about Drive for quite some time now.  This film has had some great buzz behind it since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival back in May.  There have been many words to describe this film and its director Nicolas Winding Refn.  Words like “auteur” and “high art” are but a few that I’ve come across.  The question is, is this film the sort of high-octane thriller the trailer makes it out to be?

Continue reading “Review: Drive Grinds the Gears of Action Films” »

Political thrillers, cheese-ball comedies, historical drama, suspense thrillers, this week has it all.  With the exception of an animated or kids film.  Sorry about that, maybe next week.  I even through in a vintage trailer just for fun.  Have to get to the end of the post to find out what it is though.  You may now proceed…

Continue reading “Saturday Trailer Wrap – 8/6/11” »

Oh my goodness!  There have been a slew of trailers that came out this week.  It also seems to be a Jude Law kind of week since he’s in three out of the five trailers featured!  Might as well have a seat, kick your feet up and grab a cup of coffee because I’ve got the best of them all right here.  Let’s get on with it shall we?

Continue reading “Saturday Trailer Wrap – 7/16/11” »

Larry Crowne opened up a couple of weeks ago and I finally got a chance to see it.  I had been looking forward to this one since I saw the first trailer.  Tom Hanks is one of those actors that I’ve always liked.  Even going back to his Bosom Buddies days.  He’s one of those actors that I know I like, but I always forget just how much until I see him in something.  Larry Crowne looked like it was classic Tom Hanks.

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