Alan Rapp

Bridge to Terabithia

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Bridge to Terabithia
  • IMDb: link

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to see Bridge to Terabithia.  The film is being marketed as an imaginary fantasy tale much like Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (which I hated to no end, see how much here).  But that’s not really what the film is, thank God.  It’s a simple tale about the importance of your first best friend and how children often use the power of their imagination to comfort themselves against a world that can often be cruel. If you are looking for a special effects feast for the eyes than this isn’t your film, but if you just want a film about kids being kids you could do worse than give this one a shot.

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Smokin’ Aces

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Smokin’ Aces
  • IMDb: link

smokin-aces-poster

Smokin’ Aces wasn’t the total disaster I was dreading, but it is certainly far from the fun thrill ride I’d been overly hopeful for.  The pace and look of the film work, so does the cast, but when you rely on plot points that would look silly in the most amateurish comic book by depicting them as true in a real world setting, well that’s a problem – a big one.  It’s not a complete waste of time, the film has a pace and energy that serves it well, but it’s far too flawed for my tastes.

Buddy “Aces” Isreal (Jeremy Piven) is a magician and wannabe gangster who has slowly managed to weasel himself into the uper echelon of the last great mob family.  As the head of the crime syndicate (Joseph Rushkin) begins fade in his old age he puts out word he wants Israel’s heart.  A million dollar hit is put out on the magician who then contemplates giving up everything and becoming a snitch to the F.B.I., if he can live long enough.

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Tube Watch – Cable’s Detectives

/ / Essays, Television Reviews

It seems as though the game might, indeed, be afoot. Cable seems filled with great detectives lately. Monk and Psych both premiered their season openers last Friday, the Sci-fi Channel has just launched their newest series about a wizard detective titled The Dresden Files, and John Laroquette’s McBride appears to be back on the case.  Each brings their own unique style to solve mysteries, capture the bad guy, and entertain at the same time.

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Freedom Writers

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Freedom Writers
  • IMDB: link

The idea of an inspiring teacher actually making a difference may seem cliche nowadays, but there’s nothing cliche about Freedom Writers. The tale of a young teacher struggling with gangs, and inner city violence, and a system which has all but given up on the very students she was hired to help learn is, simply put, a great film. There were plenty of films I thought were excellent from last year but none which hit me on such an emotionally raw level as this. Don’t miss it and don’t dismiss it; Freedom Writers just might be the best film you see this year.

The film begins with Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) interviewing for a teaching position at Wilson High School. The bright-eyed Gruwell just graduated from college and wants to change the world. Those around her including her husband (Patrick Dempsey), father (Scott Glenn), the head of the English department (Imelda Staunton), and even her students, don’t expect her to make it a week.

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Top 11 Films of 2006

/ / Top Tens & Lists

Forget all those other pansy “Top Ten Lists” you’ve seen.  Mine goes to 11!  My list for last year included films which struggled to break even and those which were financial disasters.  This year, believe it or not, there are at least two films on my list that actually made a modest profit!

This year’s list includes two directors finding their way back to greatness, three comedies including one of the best satires in many a long year, a G-Rated animated film, three documentaries, a film about 9/11, a dysfunctional family in a yellow VW bus, a man whose life may be controlled by an unseen narrator, and a rat on the Boston State Police.  So who’s #1?  Let’s just say the answer may surprise you (and possibly piss you off to no end), but my choice was, in the end, the only one I could make.

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