When the credits began to roll at the end of Prisoners, a teenage girl behind me said, “I’m writing a letter to someone because there are too many unanswered questions.” My first reaction was, “Shut up.” By the time I got to my car, I thought, “Maybe she’s right.” Prisoners is a fairly solid suspense film, provided you…
Two things before my review of Gravity. First, how was this movie not made until now? It seems like such an elementary idea, that I have no clue how nobody thought of it. Second, if you are going to film a story about space, and I mean real space – not science fiction space –…
The Tree of Life, nominated for Best Picture, Director, and Cinematography Oscars and winner of AFI’s Best Picture of 2011, is one of those films that few can attempt and even fewer can accomplish. It is also one of those films, at least one a year, that Academy voters and Cannes adore but most of…
Last name, maybe – Manson? What starts out like a peaceful, Quaker farmhouse somewhere out in nowhere turns out to be a quiet, isolated cult of about 20 men and women. The men eat dinner first, then the women – but significantly less food is available. Sex is part of the initiation, sometimes in a…
I have ranted about remakes, spouted about superheroes, and screamed about sequels, but I have also admitted that they do have value. There are, however, a handful of things that I can no longer tolerate. Some film moments have become so overused that any further attempt to recreate them had better be a joke designed…
The Happiest Place on Earth? A typical family is winding up a Disney vacation when Dad gets a phone call that he has lost his job. The shock and sadness cause a series of delusions and hallucinations while they travel through the Magic Kingdom and other parks. Even a beautiful place like Disney can seem…
Reasons You Can’t Sleep “There are two kinds of people in Alaska,” said the bartender. “Those who are born here and those who come here to escape something. I wasn’t born here.” I wouldn’t know if it is true, but it’s a fabulous movie line. She, the bartender, says this after realizing that detective who…
If you told me that I would ever watch a feature film that is only eight minutes long, I would tell you to shut up. And if you told me that after the eight minutes, I would like it, I would tell you to shut up and then punch you. And if you also told…
Laser (no, really) and Joni are the children of Nic and Jules. “Nic” without the “k” is because Nic and Jules are both female. The mothers visited a sperm bank a bunch of years ago, carefully selected Paul as their donor, and each used artificial insemination to give birth to a boy, now 15, and…
Fade in to a grainy, overexposed, black and white shot of a glistening sunrise reflecting off a river and into the camera. Slowly, both focus and color are added, enough that we see the river is rather muddy. On a bridge over the river is Tim (Joshua Miller), a 10-year old boy with disheveled hair…
brainsnorts inc. 