4 Razors

Slow West

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Slow West
  • IMDb: link

Slow WestHow many westerns can you name where the lead character isn’t a gunfighter, sheriff, rancher, farmer, or outlaw? Written and directed by John Maclean, Slow West stars Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jay Cavendish who has arrived in the new world and headed west in search of the love of his life (Caren Pistorius) who fled her homeland with her father (Rory McCann) following an unfortunate accident which makes their return to Scotland impossible.

The far-too-trusting Jay is encountered by bounty hunter Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) who offers his services to keep the young man alive (while failing to state his real reasons for doing so involve the $2,000 reward on father and daughter). Over the film’s 84-minute running time the pair meet an odd assortment of characters and get into a few scrapes that, along with flashbacks to Scotland, begin to inform the audience of the tragedy surrounding Jay and his crusade.

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Astro City #24

/ / Comics

Astro City #24While offering glimpses into the world Sticks left behind, and his reasons for doing so, the latest issue of Astro City concludes the warrior-ape turned drummer turned super-hero turned nomad’s story which includes a stint with the super-group Reflex 6 who, among other adventures, fought to close illegal alien speakeasies in Astro City where human brain chemistry and dreams were the drug of choice for an elite clientele. Like super-apes who play the drums are known to do.

As with the opening issue to this two-part tale Astro City #24 offers some twists and turns as Sticks struggles to find his role in Astro City where it’s too dangerous to be a drummer and too hard to be a hero. His solution, thanks in part to an unexpected pep-talk from the Samaritan allows the character to create an unorthodox solution that not only allows him to live the life he’s always wanted but still find a way to put his obvious skills to use. And if he’s got to occasionally dress up in a monkey suit, so to speak, well that’s a small price to pay for finding the freedom to play beautiful music. Isn’t it? Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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Daredevil – Nelson v. Murdock

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Daredevil – Nelson v. Murdock
  • wiki: link

Daredevil - Nelson v. Murdock

The temporary split between law partners and best friends begins here as Foggy (Elden Henson) discovers Matt‘s (Charlie Cox) brutalized body along with the number of secrets his friend has been keeping from him for years. Interspersed with flashbacks showing us various stages of the pair’s friendship from their first meeting as college roommates to the discussion of Matt’s Greek girlfriend to going into business together, “Nelson v. Murdock” paints a picture of a strong bond which is immediately shattered because of Matt Murdock’s lies (not just about his work as a vigilante but the larger lie about the true aspects of his blindness). The split is, of course, temporary, but it does allow each character to work towards taking down Fisk separately while eventually providing Matt another confidant he isn’t forced to hide his abilities from any longer.

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Focus

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Focus
  • IMDb: link

FocusWritten and directed by the team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Focus met with mixed reactions from both audiences and critics when it opened in theaters earlier this year. It’s reminiscent of Out of Sight, the film rests largely on the performances of two photogenic and charming stars who, from time to time, need to smooth over the rough spots in the plot.

As a fan of heist and con flicks Focus is right up my alley, and it’s one of Will Smith‘s more interesting acting choices in recent years. As expert con man Nicky “Melo” Spurgeon, Smith takes a young grifter (Margot Robbie) under his wing in a screenplay that has a few too many twists for its own good but still turns out to be largely enjoyable thanks to the chemistry of its two leads. Focus may be cotton candy, lightweight with less going on beneath the surface than one would hope for, but it’s still a tasty treat that goes down easily and will momentarily satisfy your sweet tooth.

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The Terminator

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Terminator
  • IMDb: link

the-terminator-dvdTerminator 2: Judgement Day is a superior action flick with huge stunts and explosions. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is actually a very well thought out science fiction film that fits the events of the series into perspective. The first in the series however, The Terminator, is one of the most perfect monster movies of all time featuring an unstoppable killing machine sent from the future who is programmed to kill Sarah Connor and any who get in its way.

In the future the world has been taken over by machines bent on ruling and destroying what is left of humanity the war between human and machine rages on until the year 2029 when the humans led by John Connor finally achieve victory. Unable to admit defeat a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a robotic killing machine covered in flesh and blood to resemble a human, is sent back in time to kill off the leader of the rebelling humans before he is ever born. Too late to stop them, the humans send one soldier, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), back in time to protect Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and history. The only question is who will get to her first?

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