http://www.filmequals.com Your source for movie news, reviews, and more... Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:55:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/11/safe-house-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/11/safe-house-movie-review/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:55:52 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58956 Coming off a quiet 2011, Denzel Washington got back onto the big screen in Swedish director Daniel Espinosa’s Safe House. Washington, one of Hollywood’s most consistent performers, has a reputation for being type-cast for certain roles, making this film seem a little familiar. Although it wasn’t very easy to love, the film also is tough to completely detest. That’s probably not what the film was [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/11/safe-house-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/10/rampart-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/10/rampart-movie-review/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:49:05 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58887 American history has seen its share of sweep-under-the-rug stories that we avoid talking about. Perhaps I was too young to completely understand the misguided and utterly corrupt events that marred the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during the late 1990s, which are widely known as the Rampart scandals. These scandals are the focus of Oren Moverman’s crime drama Rampart, which finally gets its wide release [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/10/rampart-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/10/in-darkness-movie-review-a-beautiful-tension/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/10/in-darkness-movie-review-a-beautiful-tension/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:02:40 +0000 Sandrine Sahakians http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58875 In Darkness is one of the foreign films nominated for this years’ Academy Awards. It comes from Poland and is directed by famed female director Agnieszka Holland. I remember when I was in college I took a class on women directors in cinema and Agnieszka Holland was one of the filmmakers they talked about. We even screened one of her earlier films, Europa, Europa, which [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/10/in-darkness-movie-review-a-beautiful-tension/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/05/chronicle-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/05/chronicle-review/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:06:50 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58777 When you actually think about it, it’s surprising we didn’t get a found-footage superhero movie before 2012. The superhero genre has been going for decades, but has really gained steam since the success of the newest Batman franchise. Likewise, the found-footage genre has substantially increased since the success of The Blair Witch Project back in 1999. Combining both of these genres, like Josh Trank’s Chronicle, [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/05/chronicle-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/03/perfect-sense-movie-review-a-beautiful-love-story-touched-by-a-mysterious-disease/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/03/perfect-sense-movie-review-a-beautiful-love-story-touched-by-a-mysterious-disease/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:23:34 +0000 Sandrine Sahakians http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58749 One thing to be said about Perfect Sense is that while it was not what I expected (in a good way), it is an original and beautifully crafted film. Starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green, the film follows scientist Susan (Green) working on finding a cure to a strange disease affecting the whole world. She meets Michael (McGregor), a talented chef working at a restaurant [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/03/perfect-sense-movie-review-a-beautiful-love-story-touched-by-a-mysterious-disease/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/01/the-flowers-of-war-movie-review-beautiful-tragic-unforgettable/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/01/the-flowers-of-war-movie-review-beautiful-tragic-unforgettable/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:50:44 +0000 Sandrine Sahakians http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58632 It took me a little while to be able to start writing this review for The Flowers of War because I had to recover from watching it. This film is one of the most beautiful and hardest film I have ever had to watch. Directed by Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) and starring Christian Bale, the film is [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/02/01/the-flowers-of-war-movie-review-beautiful-tragic-unforgettable/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/28/the-grey-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/28/the-grey-movie-review/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:29:07 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58491 The Man vs. Nature genre has seen its fair share of movies, with the majority being unfortunate pieces of work. While the theme may come up a lot, films that are willing to take risks are the ones with the opportunity to prosper, becoming more than what viewers have come to expect. In terms of Joe Carnahan’s (Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team) The Grey these risks [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/28/the-grey-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/28/one-for-the-money-movie-review-stephanie-plum-comes-to-the-big-screen/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/28/one-for-the-money-movie-review-stephanie-plum-comes-to-the-big-screen/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:58 +0000 Sandrine Sahakians http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58495 Fans of Janet Evanovich’s eighteen-book mystery series will need no introduction to Stephanie Plum, but for me, Katherine Heigl’s latest comedy, One for the Money, is my first introduction to the character and her world. As with any book adaptation there have been quite a few strong opinions about whether Katherine Heigl was the right pick for the character. Since I haven’t read any of [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/28/one-for-the-money-movie-review-stephanie-plum-comes-to-the-big-screen/feed/ 5 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/21/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-close-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/21/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-close-movie-review/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:24:44 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58388 When it comes to national and historical tragedies, previous movies have taught us to err on the side of caution, meaning wait as long as possible. That doesn’t mean that the horrific attacks of 9/11 can’t be used in cinema; however, it does mean that fictional work that directly uses the tragedy will be highly controversial, especially if the film debuts just 10 years after [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/21/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-close-movie-review/feed/ 1 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/20/haywire-movie-review-the-most-realistic-female-driven-action-film-ever/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/20/haywire-movie-review-the-most-realistic-female-driven-action-film-ever/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:21:42 +0000 Sandrine Sahakians http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58383 If you are tired of seeing skinny actresses kicking the ass of men three times their size, then Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, Haywire is for you. Starring mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano, Haywire tells the story of Mallory Kane, a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor doing lots of dirty and dangerous jobs at which she excels. The movie [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/20/haywire-movie-review-the-most-realistic-female-driven-action-film-ever/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/13/contraband-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/13/contraband-movie-review/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:24:34 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58348 Fresh off the heels of the late year push by Hollywood comes the mostly dreaded January and February releases. Although I find this unfair to some quality films, it is unfortunately the route most studios take. On one hand, I wanted to give Contraband a legitimate shot, but on the other hand, I was afraid it’d play out like every other New Year action film. [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/13/contraband-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/12/mr-poppers-penguins-blu-ray-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/12/mr-poppers-penguins-blu-ray-review/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:00:02 +0000 Dani http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58338 20th Century Fox has released its latest family fun movie, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, on DVD and Blu-ray. Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a movie loosely based on a 1938 book. The movie stars Jim Carrey as Thomas Popper, a divorced father who is a successful entrepreneur/realtor with a stilted and awkward relationship with his kids and ex-wife (Carla Gugino), and definite daddy issues. When a box [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/12/mr-poppers-penguins-blu-ray-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/04/blue-sunshine-dvd-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/04/blue-sunshine-dvd-review/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:24:47 +0000 Dani http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58148 Thirty-five years after its initial release, Flatiron Film Company releases Blue Sunshine on DVD. Blue Sunshine was written and directed by Jeff Lieberman, known for his work on Squirm the year before and the TV series ‘Til Death Do Us Part in 2006. Blue Sunshine is an approximately 90 minute long psychedelic trip masquerading as a horror movie. Blue Sunshine is premised on the theory [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2012/01/04/blue-sunshine-dvd-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/21/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/21/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-movie-review/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:11:09 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=58057 Wasting virtually no time, studio executives set out to produce an English adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s uber-successful best selling Millenium series. The first tale, titled The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was already made in native Sweden in 2009, but that didn’t stop Hollywood from creating an English version. While some may find the remake (I prefer the term re-adaptation) unnecessary, the people who care [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/21/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/20/the-art-of-getting-by-blu-ray-review-2/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/20/the-art-of-getting-by-blu-ray-review-2/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:54:03 +0000 Dani http://www.filmequals.com/?p=57993 20th Century Fox has released another 2011 Sundance movie, The Art of Getting By, on Blu-ray. The Art of Getting By stars Freddie Highmore as George, a disillusioned high school senior who lives with the belief that if everyone dies alone, why bother looking for someone along the way. Things change, of course, when he happens to notice Sally (Emma Roberts), another disillusioned, but more [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/20/the-art-of-getting-by-blu-ray-review-2/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/18/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/18/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-movie-review/#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:27:02 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=57839 Let me start off by saying the film is good. I say this first because I have a feeling this may come off a bit more critical than praiseworthy. In the end, though, the film delivers in a way that makes it worth the trip to the theater. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is the sequel to Guy Ritchie’s 2009 hit Sherlock Holmes. In [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/18/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/17/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/17/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol-movie-review/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:07:29 +0000 Jordan Magrath http://www.filmequals.com/?p=57824 Each year, filmmakers are pushing the stylistic envelope, finding ways to make films visually stronger. In the case of the Mission: Impossible franchise, where each film becomes visually better as the series goes on, this progression is easily noticeable. This isn’t to say that each film gets better, but the action sequences tend to. The same can definitely be said about the fourth installment, Brad [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/17/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol-movie-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/16/the-last-mountain-dvd-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/16/the-last-mountain-dvd-review/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:26:29 +0000 Dani http://www.filmequals.com/?p=57807 The Last Mountain, the latest DVD released by Docuramafilms, is a roughly hour and a half documentary over the plight of a small town trying to protect the last intact mountain, Coal River Mountain, in the Appalachians of West Virginia from a coal company who have taken up mountain top blasting. The Last Mountain premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and now is being [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/16/the-last-mountain-dvd-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/16/another-earth-blu-ray-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/16/another-earth-blu-ray-review/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:20:53 +0000 Dani http://www.filmequals.com/?p=57793 20th Century Fox is releasing the Sundance Film Festival hit, Another Earth, on Blu-ray. Another Earth is the little movie, filmed on miniscule resources, that blew audiences, including myself, away. Starring William Mapother, whom you may know from Lost, and Brit Marling, who both starred and co-wrote the movie, Another Earth explores the possiblity that a second earth could give you new possibilities and a [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/16/another-earth-blu-ray-review/feed/ 0 http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/14/young-adult-movie-review/ http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/14/young-adult-movie-review/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:37:18 +0000 Molly Horan http://www.filmequals.com/?p=57798 Young Adult, for all the moments it works, is a movie I’d recommend to a film student, a critic, or an aspiring screenwriter. But for the feeling you’re left with when you walk out of the theater, like you’ve just witnessed a train wreck with no survivors, I wouldn’t recommend it to the casual movie goer. Go see The Muppets, or Hugo, and let your [...]]]> http://www.filmequals.com/2011/12/14/young-adult-movie-review/feed/ 0