DVD Review for January 13, 2015

GONE GIRL
Rated: R
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Plot: A large manhunt for a woman's killer turns its focus on her husband
Trailer

Clint Says: Watch this as soon as you can

GONE GIRL is a great, twisted thriller that will keep you interested and guessing and creeped out for the entire 2 1/2 hours. I was nervous about the length of this film going into it, but it really doesn't feel as long as it is.

Affleck does a masterful job as "the most hated man in America," and we all owe a great debt of gratitude to the powers that be that made a last second edit to the movie so we don't have to see Ben's "little Affleck." Rumor has it, he went full frontal for this film, so we may end up having to deal with that little bit of action in the DVD.

Rosamund Pike's character seems stiff and almost Stepford Wife like for most of the film, but as the movie unfolds her character becomes much more in-depth and complex.

This is a thriller that will stay with you for a while. Any married couples that see this may be sleeping with one eye open for a few days.



A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES
Rated: R
Stars: Liam Neeson, Astro, David Harbour
Plot: A retired cop turned illegal P.I. is tasked with finding out who is killing all of the wives and girlfriends of New York's drug dealers.
Trailer

Clint Says: Watch this as soon as you can

This is the kind of film that shows off Liam Neeson's talent in the best way. I would describe this movie as a cross between SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and THE UNTOUCHABLES. It's not as good as either of those classic films, but it is good enough to hold its own.

It is highly suspenseful and thrilling, and while it is somewhat lacking in mystery it makes up for it with a compelling story and great character depth.

The story is set in 1999 so most moviegoers will enjoy the references to Y2K and old cell phones.

If you like police procedural thrillers check out this movie this week.



MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Rated: R
Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever
Plot: A biting commentary on how our lives have changed because of technology.
Trailer

Clint Says: Avoid this movie unless you are the parents of tweens or teens

This movie is sick, twisted, demented, disgusting, perverted and very close to real life. If you are the parent of a teen or tween you need to see this movie. It's a horrible, horrible movie to sit through, but the subject matter is spot on with what teens are doing now and how they deal with situations. Just know that the money you spend on it is not for entertainment, but to help you better understand and connect with your kids.

This is the kind of movie that I wish John Hughes was still around and could have directed. It has the potential to be an incredible film, but it falls flat.

Rarely do you see people walk out of a theater because a movie is so bad. I saw about half a dozen people leave during the screening for this film. Two of which were a mom and her tween son. She couldn't get him out of there fast enough with all of the nastiness up on the screen.

DVD Review for October 21, 2014

EARTH TO ECHO
Rated - PG
Stars: Teo Halm, Astro, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt
Plot: A group of friends find an alien and are trying to return it to space before the authorities capture it.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this DVD this week

This film is essentially a mashup of THE GOONIES, LEAN ON ME and SUPER 8, and like those movies it holds it own and will even have you on the edge of your seat at certain moments.

I am not a big fan of movies that are supposedly shot by one of the main players, mainly because I dislike the shaky camera effect. This movie almost entirely eliminates the shaky camera effect, but still makes it feel like these are just a group of kids filming what they see.

I was surprised at how intense and suspenseful the film is, but it's still tame enough and clean enough to take kids probably as young as 7 or 8.

Overall, this is one of the better "coming of age" movies we've seen in the last couple of years.



SEX TAPE
Rated - R
Stars: Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz
Plot: A couple tries to rekindle their sex life by making a sex tape that accidentally gets uploaded to the internet.
Trailer

Clint Says: If you're married rent this now, if you're young and dating you won't get it

I saw this movie with my wife and I can't remember the last time she and I laughed so hard at a movie. For all of you married couples out there, this film absolutely nails it when it comes to romance after marriage. This is not a date movie for the newly-in-loves.

As the title implies, this is a raunchy movie, but it also has a compelling plot and great chemistry between Diaz and Segel as their characters work to rekindle the fire from their early relationship days.

Watch this movie with your spouse, but be prepared because you are probably going to pee a little from laughing so much.



THE PURGE: ANARCHY
Rated - R
Stars: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zoe Soul
Plot: A man hits the streets bent on revenge during the annual 12 hours of legalized crime, but a small group of helpless people change his night.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent it, but only if you can check your brain at the door

The premise of this film franchise is so ridiculously moronic that I was surprised the first film did well enough to warrant a second. Apparently there are enough people out there willing to go beyond a typical suspension of disbelief and wander into the theater in a zombie-like trance to make these films successful.

That being said, the film is actually very suspenseful and thrilling throughout. It will give you all the jumps and chills that you would expect from a movie like this, and it will give you several eye rolls as well.

The plot holds up fairly well until the last 20 minutes of the movie when everything goes off the rails. But really, by that point you've already signed your free thought over to the Director so what's a few more ridiculous breaks from reality.

This is a fun, suspenseful popcorn flick. Just don't think about it...at all.

Movie Review For September 19, 2014

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES
Rated: R
Stars: Liam Neeson, Astro, David Harbour
Plot: A retired cop turned illegal P.I. is tasked with finding out who is killing all of the wives and girlfriends of New York's drug dealers.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

This is the kind of film that shows off Liam Neeson's talent in the best way. I would describe this movie as a cross between SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and THE UNTOUCHABLES. It's not as good as either of those classic films, but it is good enough to hold its own.

It is highly suspenseful and thrilling, and while it is somewhat lacking in mystery it makes up for it with a compelling story and great character depth.

The story is set in 1999 so most moviegoers will enjoy the references to Y2K and old cell phones.

If you like police procedural thrillers check out this movie this week.



THE MAZE RUNNER
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Dylan O'Brien, Aml Ameen, Will Poulter
Plot: A group of teens, trapped in a maze, must find their way out and who put them there.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

This is yet another Hollywood offering to the rabid fans of Young Adult Dystopian action flicks, and overall, it's a pretty good film.

The cast does a great job and the story is interesting and intense. In fact, there were several moments where I caught myself holding my breath due to the intensity of the action or situation on the screen.

As with most movies of this ilk, there are a few eye-rolling moments and a couple of minor plot holes, but overall the movie stands up well.

Young Adult fans will enjoy this film as will fans of sci-fi thrillers. I saw it with several uber YA fans and all of them thought the movie was great.



THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU
Rated: R
Stars: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Jane Fonda, Corey Stoll
Plot: A mother and her four grown children return home to grieve the death of their husband and father.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

This is one of those films where the teaser trailer lies to you. It looks like a comedy with a little bit of heart-warming gooeyness thrown in for good measure. In reality, this is a sad, dark, weird, boring movie.

It's somewhat like THE BIG CHILL, only the Dysfunctional Family Feud version.

If I wanted to see a dysfunctional family peck at each other I'd just go home. If I have to see it on the big screen it should at least be funny. Unfortunately almost all of the funny moments in the movie are revealed in the trailer. And in context, some of those moments aren't all that funny.

I stayed for the whole movie, but mentally I said THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU about 30 minutes into it. Save your money on this one.