-
Meet the Author - Rory Dean
-
-
Blog Catalog Sites
Above the Line: Practical Movie Reviews- The Matrix (1999) Blu-ray May 24, 2012The Matrix is that rare treat of a movie that entertains on a multitude of levels and as a result appeals to a diverse audience. You don't have to be an adrenaline hyped action junkie to enjoy the ride, or spend years snuffing dust print dust with your nose crammed in books on quantum physics and Einsten Rosen Bridge theory to be entertained. Exceeding […]rorydean
- Roadie (2011) May 6, 2012“Roadie” captures the dying dreams of middle-age coming to terms with changing or staying the same forever. That’s why you should watch “Roadie” because it gets so much of living and dying right. There’s always another comic book movie for getting away from it all. These films are like calling cards, like the pictures you look back on and say see, that’s act […]rorydean
- Ides Of March (2011) March 29, 2012George Clooney writes, directs and stars in this fine and impressive ensemble of talent with some of the brightest stars in front of the camera and behind it. Ides Of March is well made and character driven and for the most part the film accomplishes its goal of poking the seething underbelly of political corruption with impressive results from a fine ensemb […]rorydean
- Take Shelter (2011) March 28, 2012It's easy to fault a film that stumbles for lack of extravagance, which is forgivable but a film that purposefully mires itself in tiny revelations involving breakfast sausage and excavators is neither cinematic nor particularly engaging. Take Shelter makes every effort to portray normal but can't get beyond which crayon to use. Continue reading […]rorydean
- Miss Nobody (2010) February 12, 2012The fact Miss Nobody (2010) makes no effort to hide its similarities in the comfort of blatant clichés feels short-sighted if not intentionally convenient. It will most likely appeal best to those interested in caricature over character and those looking for a laugh at the expense of clever. Continue reading →rorydean
- The Matrix (1999) Blu-ray May 24, 2012
Monthly Archives: November 2010
Date Night (2010) or Not to Date Night
If Date Night succeeds at all it is its quick elevator pitch. “A middle aged couple stuck in the hum-drum of their work-life-careers needs a respite from the kids, picks a fancy restaurant where not even the rich get a spot and after pretending to be someone else, get a table and become the targets of not-so nice arch criminals.”
And then what happens? A far-fetched and silly road trip through Manhattan with plot holes the size of man-hole covers and notable bit-parts populated with unexpected big name actors who sadly only show up long enough to blather and leave. What we realize, albeit too late, is that concept films can only get you so far before a weak script begins to peak out all over. Continue reading
Ahora o’ Nunca or “Now or Never” a.k.a The Bucket List (2007)
Life is like a sucker punch, a dupe, and you’re lucky if you get a handful of moments to think about where you’ve been and what you’ve done before the unavoidable collision and the lights go out. A movie like The Bucket List is supposed to catch us off guard about a subject no one really wants to talk about and rarely do before they have to, and for a little while we are forced to face mortality and laugh a little in its face. Continue reading
Down to the Bone (2005)
Down to the Bone is the 2005 independent film drama by Debra Granik that tells the story of a woman ensnared; mother and wife, lover and addict, her roles are as indispensable as costume jewelry and worn without regard for fashion or the opinions of others. Directed and co-written by Granik, the film won the Sundance Film Festival Director’s Award for Granik and Special Jury Prize for star Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air). The film takes place in a wintry upstate New York, though unlike her follow-up Winter’s Bone (2010), the climate is less a sense of place and character as temperature, as the frigid space between forlorn lovers and the airy chasm that threatens life and limb as fueled by drug addiction and emotional vacancy. Down to the Bone is not a title as much as a declaration; this is paucity personified and minutiae examined. Continue reading
The Descent Part 2 (2009) Too Many
There is eve less reason to watch The Descent Part 2 than just about any nameless, low-budget zombie flick in recent memory. At least with a movie of that nature you know what to expect and can alter your expectations accordingly. You might even catch a better horror film for free on the internet or on cable but either way The Descent Part 2 is going to leave you gasping for air and wishing you had that rental fee back so you could spend it more wisely like on a lottery ticket or two. Continue reading
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
While caught between the implausible and the impossible, nowhere near any one genre in particular and about as quirky and original as independent films go, “Lars” asks nothing if not your willingness to explore the possibility of unconventional love. Continue reading
