Nerd in the 'Noke

Spectre (2015), PG-13, 148 minutes - It's been quite a while since I've gone to a movie on opening night.  It generally doesn't fit into our schedule, and truth be told, I don't miss dealing with the crowds.  But this past Thursday night, a perfect storm of events occurred, allowing me the opportunity to check out the latest installment of the 007 franchise as soon as it opened.  What was that perfect storm you may ask?  First off, Spectre was playing at the local art house theater, which pretty much negated the possibility of an obnoxious crowd.  Second, the start time was 7 pm as opposed to midnight (apparently earlier Thursday night showings have become a thing since I last attended an opening night - nice to know).  And third, my wife had an exhausting day at school, one of those days where she didn't mind having a nice quiet house for the evening.  As a result, I jumped at the opportunity to see Bond's return to action. Spectre is Daniel Cr...

Big Eyes (2014), PG-13, 105 minutes - Big Eyes is the latest directorial project from Tim Burton and is based on the events of artist Margaret Keane's life. Events which are both phenomenal and unbelievable at the same time. I can't say as I was familiar with her story before now, but it really is quite remarkable. Margaret (Amy Adams) met fellow artist and future husband Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) while painting portraits in the park for money in an attempt to support herself and her daughter. Keane was a charming man who had lived over seas and seemed to know everyone. They got along well, and when Margaret's ex-husband attempted to get custody of her daughter claiming that she could not provide a stable environment, they got married. Shortly thereafter, Walter talked his way into displaying their art at a local night club. His foreign street-scapes and her portraits of children with distinctive over-sized eyes. One night a couple mistakenly thought that...

Muppets Most Wanted (2014), PG, 112 minutes - Jim Henson's Muppets are timeless.  Especially for anyone close to my age.  That being said, some Muppets movies are better than others.  Muppets Most Wanted is the eighth big screen adventure for everyone's favorite set of puppets, and while it may not be quite on par with 2011's The Muppets (which successfully re-introduced the franchise to theaters and a whole new generation of fans), it is definitely superior to 1999's Muppets from Space (which effectively put an end to the film franchise for twelve years). Muppets Most Wanted picks up immediately after 2011's The Muppets.  Immediately, as in as soon as the final musical number ends.  The Muppets have successfully kept their theater open and are approached by Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) about his becoming their manager and taking them on a world tour.  Kermit is a little leery, not just because of Dominic's last name (he tells them it is pronounced B...

Django Unchained (2012), R, 165 minutes - There are a few followers of this blog that already know this, but for anyone new or just passing through, here it is: I enjoy westerns.  Unfortunately it is a rare genre in this day and age.  I have also become a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s work over the years.  So, as one could imagine, Django Unchained (the D is silent) is a film that I've been pretty excited about for a while now.  It snuck onto my ‘ Most Anticipated Films of 2012 ’ list earlier this year as an honorable mention entry (it would have been much higher had there actually been an official trailer released at that point), and my excitement only grew throughout the year. Django Unchained is a wonderful mash-up of a well made spaghetti western and Tarantino’s style of storytelling and violence.  It takes place two years before the Civil War and follows Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave who is purchased by a bounty hunter by the name of Dr. King...

I enjoy Westerns.  I enjoy Quentin Tarantino films.  I enjoy most films starring Jamie Foxx,  Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, or Jonah Hill.  Tarantino has rolled all of them into his latest effort.  It is pretty safe to say that I am eagerly anticipating Django Unchained . It will be very interesting to see how Tarantino's violent, explicit styles mesh with the western genre.  I like the role reversal that Tarantino is using with DiCaprio and Waltz (DiCaprio as the villain and Waltz seemingly being an accomplice for good).  Samuel L. Jackson's almost obligatory appearance in a Tarantino film is always appreciated as well. If the movie itself plays half as well as the trailer does, I think we'll be looking at another excellent outing from Quentin Tarantino.  While I've never been one to run out to the theater on Christmas afternoon (and I don't really see myself making an exception in this case), you ...