August 2012
37 posts
23 tags
Review: Lawless
Apparently in the early days of the century farm boys made a game out of shooting a pig in its peg. In prohibition-era Virginia three brothers, played by Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Jason Clarke pretty much run the moonshine business. The law knows who they are and what they do, but since they like drinking too, they turn a blind eye and allow the brothers to continue working. Gary Oldman, as a...
23 tags
Sherlock’s End In Sight?!
As a huge fan of the BBC, I have spent many a times combing through the British section of the DVDs in all the bookstores I visit, and eagerly await the return of such shows as Downton Abbey and Doctor Who. Perhaps the greatest amount of anticipation though comes with the anxious wait for the third series of Sherlock. As both the UK and the US wait for the sleuthing-duoâs return to the...
29 tags
Shia LaBeouf's Penis to Star in New Film
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Ever wanted to see Shia Laboeuf have sex? And we don’t just mean simulated rated R-rated most-likely-a-butt-double sex, we’re taking real, unsimulated and even, possibly titillating sex. Well now, thanks to Lars Von Trier’s latest...
13 tags
Interview: Peter Lord, director of The Pirates!
The Pirates! Band of Misfits is out on DVD TODAY, so we decided to look back at our interview with the film’s director Peter Lord. Watch Pretentious Film Major Ashley try not to ask him about directing Chicken Run, and discuss the challenges in making stop motion films in the interview above.
Original Article
12 tags
Dumb and Dumber Too: The Long-Awaited Sequel
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Our two favorite dunces are back! What seemed like flaky speculation earlier this summer has now become a definite statement: The Farrelly Brothers are writing and directing a sequel to their smash hit Dumb and Dumber. Despite a 19-year gap since the original...
16 tags
Interview: Steve Harvey & Michael Ealy on the Red...
Pretentious Film Major Ben broadcasts from the Ritz East red carpet Philadelphia premiere of Think Like a Man. With the Think Like a Man DVD set to hit stores tomorrow, we take this chance to revisit Ben’s coverage and the chats he had with one of the film’s stars, Michael Ealy, as well as another actor from the film, as well as the man who wrote the book it’s based on, Steve...
23 tags
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two
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September 25th officially marks the end of the first (and spectacular) run of Marvel comic-book films. The Avengers will be released on Blu-ray, as well as a larger 10-disc set entitled Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled, which...
23 tags
Karen O. Contributes to Frankenweenie Sountrack
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Karen O, frontman of the indie rock group the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, has recently written an original song for the ending credits of Disneyâs highly anticipated stop-motion childrenâs film Frankenweenie, directed by Tim Burton. The song is titled âStrange...
23 tags
Trailer Tuesday: August 21st
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Trailer Tuesday is a normally a column where Cinedork’s staff of writers guide you through the ABCs of new trailers, taking a look at what’s awesome, what’s bizarre, and what’s just cringe-worthy in upcoming movies. This week, Corwyn Johnson takes control...
18 tags
PFMChannel: Arrested Development Art Show at...
In anticipation of the upcoming Netflix-produced fourth season of Arrested Development, Ben of The Pretentious Film Majors takes a trip out west to the Arrested Development art gallery opening at Gallery1988 in Los Angeles. While there, amongst the frozen bananas and blue handprints, Ben even discovers creator of the show Mitch Hurwitz!!
Additional Special Thanks to:
Jenna Dundas for the lower...
23 tags
Jon Hamm to Play a Toilet on Bob’s Burgers (A...
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Bobâs Burgers, the best animated series currently on FOX (Sorry Simpsons⦠you had your run), is getting a sexy new guest voice actor playing a not so sexy appliance. Jon Hamm, of Mad Men and Superman look-a-like fame, will be playing the voice of a...
3 tags
Review: 2 Days in New York
The ultra-talented French actress Julie Delpy continues to grow most impressively in her new film 2 Days in New York, which she directs, and which co-stars Chris Rock in a much more than comic role. Rock plays Mingus, who lives with Marion (Delpy) and each of their two kids from other relationships. The situation is a doozy: Marion’s dad, sister, and sister’s boyfriend (who’s...
23 tags
Review: Celeste and Jesse Forever
Celeste and Jesse Forever’s notion of what it means to lay out a romantic comedy may not coincide with your own. Despite successful scenes, the film is an illustration that merely finding an innovative approach to a hackneyed genre does not necessarily produce a fresh nor particularly cohesive result.
A film starring Rashid Jones and Andy Samberg, Celeste profiles a couple on the way to...
23 tags
Breaking Bad: Half-Awake in a Fake Empire...
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Remember the first season, when dissolving a body in acid became a comedy of errors? Itâs safe to say that those days are long gone. In one of the most sobering openings in the showâs history, Walt, Mike and Todd unearth a dead kidâs dirt bike and...
23 tags
Editorial: 5 Things To Do While Waiting for The...
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Film fans may hate me for saying this, but this upcoming winter looked like it would be just as cold at the box office as the temperatures outside. From Peter Jackson’s 48 frame-per-second adaptation of the first third of The Hobbit,...
24 tags
Trailer: Schwarzenegger Returns to Genre He Pumped...
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It’s about time Ahhhnold stopped playing politics and started playing with guns again! Unlike most comebacks, this one looks to be warmly welcomed. The Last Stand is set to star Schwarzenegger as Sheriff Owens, a big tough Austrian man who left his post...
24 tags
Review: Sparkle
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Sparkle is the remake of the 1976 film of the same name. It’s the typical story of a teenage girl trying to follow her dream to become a star. She is of course held back by all the things you would expect her to be in a movie like this. She has an...
23 tags
Review: Paranorman
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After Coraline, something big was expected from the people at Laika Studios. They had just managed to make the best piece of stop-motion animation I had seen since The Nightmare Before Christmas (excluding Community’s season 2 Christmas episode “Abed’s...
30 tags
Trailer Tuesday: August 14th
Trailer Tuesday is a column in which Cinedorkâs staff of writers guides you through the ABCs of new trailers, taking a look at what’s awesome, what’s bizarre, and what’s cringe-worthy about upcoming movies. Adding some of our own insights, we assess what to expect. This week, Chikira, Lauren and Nick break down an awesome, bizarre, and cringe-worthy slew of new movies about...
23 tags
Review: The Bourne Legacy
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The thrilling story of enhanced operative Jason Bourne is continued, though without Jason Bourne, and subsequently, without actor Matt Damon. But new lead Jeremy Renner handles the responsibility of taking over the franchise, and does it well.
The...
23 tags
Review: Killer Joe
White trash dolts. Trailer park narcissists. Total loop jobs.
Welcome to Killer Joe, William Friedkin’s new NC-17 noir that’s as demented as a hyena on acid, yet strangely perceptive and chillingly funny.
What happens when an ignoramus (Thomas Haden Church) and his grandiose if equally ignorant son (Emile Hirsch), throw all morals out the window and decide to off their respective...
23 tags
Review: Searching for Sugar Man
Searching for Sugar Man, the story of Sixto Rodriguez, a Dylanesque musician discovered in his native Detroit in 1968, is a saga almost too fantastic to be believed. Faded into near-total obscurity after two album releases, Rodriguez’ records make a huge splash in the anti-apartheid community of early 1980’s South Africa of all places. He becomes a folk hero with all the appeal of an...
29 tags
Philly: Free Outdoor Midnight in Paris screening...
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If youâre itching for a European vacation but canât make it happen, whet your jet-setting appetite with a free outdoor screening of Midnight in Paris this weekend on Saturday, August 11th in Rittenhouse Square. This event, which is part of the Moonlit...
23 tags
Give-Away: Sparkle Prize Pack & Screening
Love the sound of 1960s Motown? Or maybe you just love the voices of some of today’s most popular stars like Cee-Lo Green, Jordin Sparks, and the late Whitney Houston? Either way the Pretentious Film Majors and Cinedork are teaming up to hook you up with Sparkle swag and a chance to see the movie before all your friends get the chance to!
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28 tags
Paranormal Activity 4: Back and Ready to Scare
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The fourth installment from Hollywood’s new favorite franchise, Paranormal Activity, came out, and it looks exactly the same as the first three films. Picking up where the first two films left off (the third was a prequel), it seems as though scarily...
25 tags
Sacha Baron Cohen: Secret Agent??
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Doing what he does best (or just keeps doing), Sacha Baron Cohenâs next spoof film will take on, not a racist, a gay. or a dictator, but the worldâs greatest secret agent: James Bond⦠or whatever name Cohen comes up with. Variety reports that Cohen...
23 tags
Joss Whedon's Secret Shakespearean Project
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In a reversal from his recent trend of blockbusters and science fiction, director Joss Whedon has created a film based off of Shakespeareâs Much Ado About Nothing, under the micro-studio Bellwether Pictures (created by Whedon and his wife, Kai Cole)....
30 tags
Trailer Tuesday: August 7th (Nick Popyack edition)
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Trailer Tuesday is a normally a column where Cinedorkâs staff of writers guide you through the ABCs of new trailers, taking a look at what’s awesome, what’s bizarre, and what’s just cringe-worthy in upcoming movies. This week, Nick...
30 tags
Breaking Bad: What a Difference a Year Makes...
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Well, itâs been a year, or thereabouts, by the timeline of this show. One year since Walter White turned 50, found out he had lung cancer and decided to cook crystal meth in an RV in the outskirts of Albuquerque. One year since a nerdy chemistry teacher...
30 tags
Give-Away: Searching For Sugar Man tickets
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Who is the Sugar Man? The illusive â70s U.S. rock guitarist that never saw his moment in the sun is the story at the center of Searching For Sugar Manâand Philly residents will have the opportunity to see this beloved new documentary before it even...
28 tags
Death & Pixar: Bringing the Family Together
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It’s safe to say that the name “Pixar” brings thoughts of family and quality to any film to which they attach their name. But since their release of Brave this year, everyone is speculating as to what Pixar’s next original project will be like. Now,...
25 tags
Comedian Tig Notaro Diagnosed with Cancer
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Comedian and actress Tig Notaro, best known for her stand-up comedy and appearances as a cop on The Sarah Silverman Program, recently announced on her podcast that she has cancer in both breasts. The devastating news arrived at a time where Notaroâs...
23 tags
PTA Surprises Santa Monica with Screening of The...
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Avid moviegoers simply hoping to see an American Cinematheque screening of Stanley Kubrik’s The Shining got a special surprise when, after the movie, director Paul Thomas Anderson held an unannounced public screening of his upcoming film. The Master was...
22 tags
Review: Ruby Sparks (Soundtrack)
A great film can be ruined by a bad soundtrack. This is not the case with the music of Ruby Sparks. The musical accompaniment creates a fantastic emotional backdrop to the story of Calvin and his dream girl Ruby Sparks. Nick Urata’s score brings together moments of wonder and delight mixed with subtle undertones of dramatic melody.
We start off listening to some of the main ideas of Ruby...
23 tags
Review: Ruby Sparks
As you watch Ruby Sparks you may or may not be able to determine if you are watching a magical fantasy tale or just a well-written independent film. The beauty behind this film is that it continually walks a fine line between the two. It’s fantasy elements seem grounded in a reality built around Calvin’s coming-of-age tale. Similar to the energy of “Little Miss Sunshine,”...
27 tags
DVDs: Jaws Swims Onto Blu-Ray August 14th
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To me, Jaws is the perfect film. We all have that, that one movie that is just completely perfect in our eyes, that we would defend to the death its status as a classic film. That rare movie that when you watch it, you still get the same feeling of amazement...
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Editorial: Top 10 Awesome Obscure Films on Netflix...
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As a DVD salesman at a major entertainment retailer, I have encountered many customers who are more than happy to share their displeasure with Netflix’s streaming service. During this summer’s intense heat waves, consumers...
July 2012
47 posts
28 tags
Trailer Tuesday: July 31st
Trailer Tuesday is a column in which the Cinedork writers guide you through the ABCs of new film trailers. We take a look at awesome, bizarre, and cringe-worthy upcoming movies and add some of our own insights, observations, and warnings. This week, we discover the phrase “Starring Robert DeNiro and 50 Cent,” check out lesbian werewolves, see Ang Lee’s grown-up Jungle Book, and...
26 tags
Top 10 Sports Films: Olympics Edition
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I love sports. And having grown up in one of the greatest sports towns in the world, I pride myself on my loyalty to my favorite Philadelphia teams no matter what the circumstances. You can only imagine how excited I get when the Olympics roll around and I...
29 tags
Breaking Bad: Hazard Pay
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Iâm just gonna say it. Walter White is a terrible man. Yes, I know, heâs a kind of dazzling anti-hero and one of the most well-written characters in the history of television butâ¦heâs still just awful. And he wasnât always that way, or so it...
23 tags
On TV: Pretty Little Liars, Season 3 (so far!)
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The television show everyone canât stand but has to see has returned to ABC family (which is known for creating riveting projects such as Bring It On 2, 3, 4 and Mean Girls 2). Thatâs right, Spencer, Hannah, Emily, and Aria return in Pretty Little...
30 tags
Worst of 2012 (so far!) -- Cinedork/PFM Channel...
Nearly seven full months into the year, film after film has fallen far beneath our expectations, and movie after movie has left us rolling our eyes in frustration. Sure, there have been plenty of great movies, but we’ve already taken the time to tell you about our favorites — it’s about time we get to abolish some of the dreck that we come across here at Cinedork and on the...
19 tags
Midnight Movies at the TLA
I love movies. Kind of an obvious statement I know, let me try to explain….
I get asked the question “Oh you like movies, what’s your favorite movie?” a lot. Anyone who loves film HATES this question with a burning passion. We suddenly have a list of films that run through our heads with no way to pick just one. The thoughts seem to gravity around this…
“I...
29 tags
Sparkle Singing Competition Finds Philly Talent
The new musical Sparkle arrives in theaters August 17th, and itâs already getting a ton of buzz. Starring Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame as well as the late Whitney Houston, the film centers on a young musical prodigy named Sparkle (played by the ever-talented Jordin Sparks) who struggles to become a star just as her family begins to go through challenges of their own. Â Whitney Houston...
27 tags
Editorial: The Man From Philadelphia
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Mike. At first, when I thought about how I felt about the elusive Mr. Ehrmantraut, it was tough to come up with anything more cohesive than âMan, Mikeâs awesome.â Itâs easy to see Breaking Bad, with itâs nameless gunslingers and itâs boundless...
23 tags
Holy Trilogy, Batman! It’s All Over Now!
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Itâs not so often that we think of Hollywood blockbusters as art. Not just the art of cinema, but actual fine art like a painting hanging in a museumâinvoking emotions, thoughts and discussion, or simply giving pleasure to the eye. Christopher...
23 tags
Review: Trishna
Spoiler: beware of quiet, knife-yielding, humiliated damsels with a class grudge. Or maybe you’d rather sit through Winterbottom’s new film, Trishna, based on the Thomas Hardy classic Tess of the D’eubervilles. Its star, Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), is very photogenic and has an alluring if distant screen presence. You’ll also get a real feel for India, where the...
23 tags
Review: The Watch
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If the world actually had to rely on a small town neighborhood watch to save it from a horde of invading extraterrestrials, it can pretty much be guaranteed that everyone on the planet would soon be annihilated. Thankfully, the characters in The Watch...
23 tags
Breaking Bad "Madrigal" Recap
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The second episode of Breaking Badâs fifth and kinda-final season opens in Germany (Wait, what? Germany? Does Walt even have a passport?) Yes, in Germany, where we meet Herr Schuler, an executive with the very large Madrigal Elektromotoren, a large...
23 tags
Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee Is Exactly That
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âThis is a 1952 VW Bug in azure blue,â begins Jerry Seinfeld at the start of the first episode of his new web series. âIt has a four-cylinder 25-horsepower engine⦠and if like me, you feel that true humility is in short supply, this is the car...
