Geek For E!

Geek For E!

Creators of the TwitView! Reviews in 140 characters or less.

Movie Review: Stoker

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Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode star as the twisted family in this tale of not-so-secret secrets, ambiguous family quarrels and atmospheric tension laid on so thick it ceases to disturb after the first 10 minutes.  I never thought a film about a serial killer would be boring.  But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over my years of reviewing, it’s that I can always count on surprises. Unfortunately, there are no surprises in Stoker.  Uncle Charles (Goode), Sister-in-Law/Mom Evelyn (Kidman) and niece/daughter India (Wasikowska) are strange from the get-go, and with no character development there’s no intrigue.  It’s simply an endurance test ‘til the not-so-climactic climax.

Stoker tries to be a Hitchcock tribute with it’s coming-of-age story for psychopaths.  Pity it’s so dull.  Everything.  Is.  So.  Slow.  A meaningful slowness?  Hardly.  More like a pretentious bit of showmanship on the part of director  Park Chan-wook.  His “Vengeance Trilogy” (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) are genre classics that use the same sort of cinematic style, but to greater effect.

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Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner come to Baltimore Comic-Con!

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I’m a comic book nerd.  No question there.  I wish I could read everything I love, but y’know…morgage, food and stuff.

But I do love Comic-Con, where I can meet my favorite creators and drool on them!  I’m sure they’re less pleased.

This year, Baltimore Comic-Con will bring back Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner — the husband/wife duo that have so much mad skill it’s a wonder their home hasn’t exploded from awesome.  Maybe it has.  Maybe that’s why they’re coming.  Guess we’ll see.

Palmiotti is best known his work on Jonah Hex, but he’s also an accomplished screenwriter.  I was able to sit in on a New 52 panel he sat in on, and it’s always cool to hear how he comes up with his ideas.  Conner’s gorgeous art can be found all over the place, from Archie to Vampirella, Power Girl to Painkiller Jane.  Her work on Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre is simply breathtaking.  Girl’s got skills.  Check out her Tumblr if you doubt me!  (You really shouldn’t doubt me.  Not on this, anywho.)  I’ve been a Vampirella fan for…well, a long time, so I’m really hoping to get a chance to meet her this year.

Read on for the full press release from BCC!

 

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Free Baltimore screening: Olympus Has Fallen

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More passes, this time for the groovy new action flick Olympus Has Fallen. Seen the trailer yet? Looking good. Here’s the official synopsis:

When a terrorist mastermind seizes control of the White House (Secret Service Code: Olympus) and captures the President, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning¹s inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger disaster. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) directs an all-star cast featuring Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Ashley Judd and Rick Yune.

What: a screening pass that will admit two! (There’s 50 admit one tickets available, so 25 people can download two admit one tickets with the code.

When: Thursday, March 14th at 7:30pm.

Where: The Baltimore area – location will be given to winners.

Why: because y’all are cool.

 How: head over to www.gofobo.com and enter code GFE03UQ

 Keep in mind that like all screenings, seating is first-come, first-served. So get there early to get yourself a seat….

And remember, Olympus Has Fallen opens in theaters Friday, March 22nd.

Good luck everyone!

Movie Review: Oz the Great and Powerful

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Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!  Oh, but in Oz the Great and Powerful, he’s brought in for his close-up, and it’s an interesting look at how a con man from Kansas became the most powerful wizard in all of Oz.  Though this movie may not be “great and powerful”, it’s a lovely romp for fans of the original film, and a fun escape for children of all ages.  Well, except for perhaps the very young’uns, who may get scared of the flying gorillas.  What?  They creeped me out.  Don’t judge me.

Franco is cast well as a steampunk wizard prototype, a young con-man named Oz — his full name being Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs — who accidentally lands in the Land of Oz after a run-in during his stint as a circus magician.  When I say “run-in”, I mean “running away from”.  And when I say “running away from”, I mean “running away from a jealous strongman whose girlfriend Oz was macking on”.  Because this Oz is a pimp.  A weasely mess of a magician whose dreams of becoming a great inventor are always sidetracked by his inability to do more than dream and pick up chicks.  If those of you that were non-plussed by Franco’s turn at the Oscars — and I’ve gotta say I figured he was riding the Pineapple Express the entire ceremony — doubt that he can pull off this character, let’s just say that Franco has an interesting combination of fecklessness and candor that works well here.

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Free Baltimore Screening: Stoker, 3/12/2013

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Hi all!  Ready to get your creepy on?  We’ve got passes for Stoker, the new Park Chan-wook film starring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode!  Want to go see it?  Here’s the info on the film:

Directed by acclaimed Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook (OLDBOY, LADY
VENGEANCE, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE) and starring Mia Wasikowska, Nicole
Kidman, Jacki Weaver and Matthew Goode, STOKER will open in Washington, DC
theaters on Friday, March 15th. We invite you to view the trailer here:
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/stoker/

Read on for how to grab yourself a seat!

Where: Baltimore City (winners will get the screening details)

What: a screening pass that will allow you and a guest to attend (aka: an “Admit Two” pass)

When: March 12, 2013 at 7:30 (but make sure to get there early as seating is first-come, first-served!)

Why?:  Well, you know we love you.

How: the GOFOBO (http://www.gofobo.com/) RSVP Code: GFEJ3ZE

REMEMBER: these passes do not guarantee admission as the seating is first-come, first-served.  So make sure that if you nab a pass?  You get there early.

Good luck everybody!

Wanna see The Last Exorcism Part 2 for free? Sure you do!

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Update: the passes are in the mail – congratulations to Robin, Laura, Jackie, Lekesia and Brian!

Okay so The Last Exorcism Part 2 didn’t screen here in Baltimore. But a few of you can go see it for free anyway. Yay!

Here’s the deal: I have 5 “admit two” passes for The Last Exorcism Part 2, which can be used at any Regal Cinemas in the Baltimore area. I’ll be mailing them out. Because I care. I really do.

Here’s how you can grab one:

Send me an email at geekfore@gmail.com with your full name and your mailing address. Make sure that the subject line of the email is THE LAST OXYMORON. Because I think that’s funny, and there you go.

The first 5 folks that do that? Get a pass.

Legal info:

This pass will be accepted beginning Monday, March 4th, 2013, through run of engagement, Monday – Thursday only, excluding holidays.

Movie Review: 21 And Over

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Jeff Chang turned 21 today.  Mazel Tov!  His two best friends from high school decide to pop in and surprise him with a bar-crawl blowout…but Jeff’s got “the” medical school interview at 8am tomorrow morning.  Oh you know this isn’t gonna end well.

21 And Over is made by the folks that gave us The Hangover, and luckily it’s more of the feel-good craziness of the first Hangover and not just warmed-over ideas packed into a college setting.  And the three leads do a fantastic job of taking moviegoers along for the ride.  Justin Chon (one of Bella’s non-sparkle pals in the Twilight series) plays Jeff Chang, a guy ground down to nothing by his overbearing father (François Chau, Lost).  Poor Jeff Chang — his friends call him by both first and last names, sounding like Jeffchang — is so beaten down that he doesn’t even want to celebrate this milestone in his life.  But party guy Miller (Miles Teller) decides to take charge, with their super-achieving friend Casey (Skylar Astin) deciding that one beer couldn’t hurt.  But with Miller’s promise that “I’m gonna fuck you with alcohol!”, it’s not gonna be a one-beer night.

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Baltimore Screening: 21 And Over, 2/28

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Ahh, drinking.  As adults we take the ol’ bottle, glass or shot for granted.  It’s always there, whenever you’d like one.  But for folks on the other side of The 21st Birthday, the golden key to a real I.D. is a time for celebration.  Joyous song.  Running around in a pink bikini with a teddy bear strapped to your junk.  Sound familiar?  Well, re-live it (or drool over your own expectations) with 21 And Over!

The synopsis:

Straight-A college student Jeff Chang has always done what’s expected of him. But when his two best friends Casey and Miller surprise him with a visit for his 21st birthday, he decides to do the unexpected for a change, even though his critical medical school interview is early the next morning. What was supposed to be one beer becomes one night of chaos, over indulgence and utter debauchery in this outrageous comedy.

Have you seen the trailer yet?  It’s kinda awesome.  So you wanna see it, and see it for free?  Sure you do; more beer money in your pocket for later, Amirite?

Here’s how….

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A Newbie’s guide to A Good Day To Die Hard

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A Good Day To Die Hard is the fifth installment if the Die Hard series.  And I’m probably the only American that hasn’t seen any of the earlier films.  All I know is “Yippee-ki-yay” and Alan Rickman.  I know, I’m a bad reviewer; 10 points from Hufflepuff and all that.  But in the interest of making lemonade out of my lack of knowledge, here I am, tapping away.

For anyone else that has been living under a rock since 1988, card-carrying badass John McClane (that’d be Bruce Willis y’all) finally decides that he’s kicked enough American badguy tuchas and heads to Russia to track down his estranged son Jack (played by Jai Courtney, Spartacus).  But there’s a problem — isn’t there always? — Jack is in prison.  But surprise; Jack’s actually a CIA operative whose orders are to rescue former Russian mobster Komarov (Sebastian Koch), a man who has a file that is very important to US Intelligence.  But Komarov won’t go without his daughter Irina (Yuliya Snigir).  Meanwhile mobster baddies are breathing down their neck.  Guess who steps in to help sonny-boy?

Do you need to know anything about the earlier films before you see A Good Day To Die Hard?  Nope, not at all.  Did I like it?  Yippee-ki-YES.

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Movie Review: Beautiful Creatures

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Boy meets girl.  Boy falls for girl.  Girl falls for boy.  There’s a deep, dark secret that makes their love dangerous.  Much moping and emo-ness ensues for four overlong books.  Sound familiar?  Well, this time it’s different.  Because in the Caster Chronicles the super-secret is held by the girl, not the guy.  And the emo mopey is done by the guy, not the girl.  I know, right?  It’s like it’s all brand new.  It’s like Twilight, if the dude is the one acting like a chick.

But the movie Beautiful Creatures has something the Caster Chronicles series of books — and “that other series” — don’t have; a sly bit of fun and snarky self-aware leads.  Oh, and casting Oscar winners Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson and Viola Davis as supporting characters doesn’t hurt either.  Beautiful Creatures is simply popcorn fodder that goes down smooth.

Trying to figure out if Beautiful Creatures is something that you’ll want to watch, or something that’ll make you roll your eyes?  Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for.

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