Category Archives: In Theaters Now!

Movie revies of, well, movies In Theaters Now! Now as relative to this now, not the now before this or the now to come, tomorrow or any day of the week and hour that is not this one.

Above the Line: End of the Year (2012) Wrap Up

Posted on January 6, 2013 by rorydean

Movie review blogs are curious places filled with ideas and opinions and even dreams. Movies are the motion picture soundtracks of our lives, constantly lifting us up and setting us down, taking us away at least for a little while. Above the Line: Practical Movie Reviews is Rory Dean and Mr. Dean is a circle sometimes or better yet, a staircase leading forward, sometimes back, but always onward. Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Blu-ray Elite for Warner Home Video, Essays on art, Essays on Film, Guest Editors, In Theaters Now!, Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, My Review of Their Review:, On DVD, Online, philosophy and film, Rants & Raves, Speak-Freely, Uncategorized | Tagged 2012 write up, above the line, bloggers, blogosphere, blogs, critics, dissave pictures, end of year, film critic, filmmaker, lamb, movies, MUBI, practical movie reviews, rory dean, wrap up | 12 Comments

Above The Line:Practical Movie Reviews Birthday News Year 2.5

Posted on October 24, 2012 by rorydean

It’s birthday time again here at Above The Line: Practical Movie Reviews and this year comes with another milestone – I totally forgot my birthday! So that being said, we turned 2 on May 18th followed by another big accomplishment on August 7th, 2012 when I posted Batman: America’s James Bond and reached my 200th blog post since starting this whole thing back in 2010. I’ll be here, man, because well, the dude abides writing about my high-colored times, low ones too, marveling at the movies and you. See you soon. Continue reading →

Posted in Blu-ray, Blu-ray Elite for Warner Home Video, Essays on art, Essays on Film, Guest Editors, In Theaters Now!, Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, My Review of Their Review:, On DVD, Online, philosophy and film, Rants & Raves, Speak-Freely, Uncategorized | Tagged above the line, bloggers, Blu-ray Disc, dissave pictures, el cerrito, movie review, movie reviews, northern california movies, practical movie reviews, rory dean, san francisco bay films, United States, warner bros., writer-director | 7 Comments

Batman Begins (2005)

Posted on July 31, 2012 by rorydean

For all the facts and figures, agreements and dastardly deeds, for the accomplishments and tragedies forever linked with these films, Nolan’s revisionist dream for the universe of Batman is an impressive film all by itself, a solid beginning for the franchise that follows and like all blockbusters it has earned as much praise in the aggregators as notable criticism. If Nolan is anything he is Master and Commander of the Cinema of now, a modern movie maker building on a rich history of motion pictures and escapism with bigger films at every turn that thrill and disappoint, that enliven imaginations and simple pleasures, that are grand explorations but above all he entertains. Continue reading →

Posted in Essays on Film, In Theaters Now!, Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, On DVD | Tagged above the line, batman & Robin, batman begins, batman trilogy, blockbusters, bruce wayne, capped crusader, christian bale, christopher nolan, dark knight, dc comics, gotham city, joel schulmaker, liam neeson, master and commander of cinema, morgan freeman, origin films, practical movie reviews, reboost movies, rory dean, Warner Bros. Entertainment | 2 Comments

Oscar Nominations The Practical Best Picture

Posted on January 26, 2012 by rorydean

Some films are required viewing for their technical brilliance and cinematic accomplishments, others capture the light just right and the beautiful imagery creates a world for our imagination where captivating characters embark on journeys of adventure, love, and triumph. You might not escape the troubles of your here and now in films, your everyday, but through our films we have an opportunity for inward journeys where greater things happen all the time and the best we can hope for is to one day have taken similar steps on our own. The Best Picture Nominees for 2012 are here. Continue reading →

Posted in Essays on art, Essays on Film, In Theaters Now!, Movie I've Seen, Movie Makers & Shakers, Movies You Should or Should Not See, My Review of Their Review:, Online, philosophy and film, Rants & Raves, Speak-Freely | Tagged extremely loud incredibly close, hugo, midnight in paris, moneyball, oscars best picture academy awards movies 2012 nominees, practical movie reviews, rory dean, the artist, the descendants, the help, tree of life, war horse | 6 Comments

War Horse (2011)

Posted on December 28, 2011 by rorydean

War Horse (2011) is effective, entertaining and at times exceedingly sentimental, yet audiences and critics seem mostly upbeat and genuinely receptive since it opened on Christmas day. If Spielberg fails at all it is that he stumbles over this romantic notion of closure and ideals – the often tidy solutions to otherwise untidy situations. Continue reading →