Cinema Sentries

The Criterion Collection adds a bevy of compelling bonus content on top of a fantastic adaptation of William Golding’s novel.

I cannot recommend Orphan Black highly enough.

President Elmo. Our long national nightmare is over.

Take my advice and avoid having it sneak up on you.

Brosnan did the best he could getting the chance to step out of the role of James Bond. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

There is enough done well to make The Guard a decent watch.

Someone in Hollywood has Polaroids of these people. Of this I am convinced.

lt is not a well-made movie.

It suffers from being dull in its reenactment.

An engaging documentary about a man with huge dreams and all the things that conspired to destroy them.

As the movie played, it became more and more evident that it wasn’t my memory that had failed me, but rather Downey, who was less of a cultural icon and more of a one-hit wonder.

A piece of Americana that questions and condemns the media.

A good movie, provided you are cool with watching a movie about the end of human life.

A fantastic resource as well as an enjoyable examination of the inimitable Bard of Avon.

The stories that unfold this season are all about some very real and drastic changes for many main characters.

A well-executed, slow-burning film about family, commitment, betrayal, and consequences, and it is anchored by Riseborough, whose performance is mesmerizing.

“Being only human, one thing leads to another.” – Peachy Carnehan

It’s more interesting in concept than in execution.

All that’s left to know about Hollywood’s Golden Age of dames, detectives, and danger.

Speaking of boring, as characters go, John is like so many other Keanu Kreations – completely devoid of emotion to the point that you want to hold a mirror under his nose when he’s not moving.

An engaging plot and interesting characters elevates this about standard teen films.

A fine thriller, but there’s nothing special about it.

A harsh story told in the sweetest way possible.

A link to the past, a link to the time in magic’s history before craft became crass, is alive and well and mesmerizing.

Corruption in NYC goes deeper than you think.

Silver Linings Playbook overcame its somewhat odd name to get a lot of award recognition, and it deserved it.

And although the film recognizes the difference between 2286 and 1986, it doesn’t play too much into the superficial trappings of the decade.

While there are fine performances by the other two leads, McKellen stands out with a sparkling, well-measured performance that could easily slip into caricature but never does.

Hey man, it’s me, Bruno. I got some new stuff.

Ever want to play poker with Brock Samson and Ash Williams? Now you can.

Good, but it doesn’t really rise above the trappings of your run-of-the-mill sports movie.

A sweet comedy/drama from director George Seaton is marred by a flawed DVD print.

A middling attempt at screwball comedy falls flat despite a typically winning performance from star Loretta Young.

I was more enthralled with the previews for other films than the one I watched.

A compelling, if somewhat convoluted, noir thriller from director Fritz Lang receives the Criterion treatment in this recent DVD release.

Despite a strong structure, and a few throwaway gags that hit, the movie commits the worst sin of being flat-out boring.

The film is definitely fun to laugh at but don’t get too close.

Honestly, I forgot this movie existed.

This is a truly gorgeous piece of science fiction, where the Engineers’ technology is similar to ours, but more organic in nature.

The best movie of 2012 as measured against the known competition.

Without the presence of real danger, Fahai is nothing more than a mystic meddler.

Don’t let the title fool you, there’s an interesting biography here, just not on the people you expect.

I gained a new admiration and respect for everyone who likes to shut out reality for a bit and delve into the finer arts of fantasy.

Argo takes a really, fairly wild, story and turns it into an occasionally intense, professional film.

The 11th Doctor battles his recurring Cybermen foes with the assistance of a plucky lass.

It’s a solid film that is mostly well-made that just happens to be featuring a major character from film history.

If you liked the other BBC dramas out there, then you’ll like this.

Respect, respect…ain’t nothing easy about this money.

A mixed-bag of classic Tom and Jerry shorts and less interesting recent creations, this collection serves as a solid, child-friendly introduction to the famous cat-and-mouse duo.

You’ll bless the rains (and the deserts, and the oceans, and the jungles) down in Africa while watching this gorgeous nature documentary.