Legion

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Posted by Veer-Naveen Toor | Posted in | Posted on 10:02 AM

I am awaiting confirmation, but it seems to me that Hollywood wants the world to end. Okay that may be a little harsh, but for more than a decade now the number of apololiptic or end of the world films has increased. From natural phenomina to biblical prophecy, we have over the years watched this world end, the aftermath and even the salvation of mankind. Sony now introduces their vision of the End of Days in the 2010 release of Legion.

Legion (Devil's Advocates Review)

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Posted by Monnie | Posted in | Posted on 9:55 AM

Delivering a biblical ass whooping to the non-believers of the horror genre, Legion capitalizes on intense action and seriously scary scenarios. Legion defies what you would think of a film based on biblical angels as it doesn’t really delve into the mythology at all. I don’t know much about the roles of the different angels and it honestly wasn’t important in this particular story. The whole story is focused on moving the action along. There is no unnecessary depth or pointless tangents. There is just enough character development to give you a sense that these characters could be anybody. The film pits a diverse cast of characters fatefully thrust into an impossible situation out in the middle of nowhere. Combining an interesting mix of religious mythos and Zombie horror Legion becomes unlike anything I’ve previously experience. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but is more or less a new tire on and old-timey wooden frame: interesting to say the least. Overall, Legion is an entertaining adventure and a good excuse to put angels to war and deliver awesome action from the heavens. For making the purity of the paradise here-after as demented as H-E-double-tooth-picks, I give this crusade 3.5 pitchforks.

Actor Spotlight: The Merchant of Venice

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , , | Posted on 9:56 AM

"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"
The Merchant of Venice is a film based on the William Shakespeare comedy of the same name. I say comedy, but it is also pretty dramatic as well. Actually, the film adaptation plays much more like a drama with moments of comedic relief.

Episode 8: Leap Year

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , , | Posted on 4:40 PM

This week Veer and Mike reveal Leap Year to be an affront to the Women's Lib movement and discuss making good career decisions. 




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Devil's DVD Advocacy: Whip It

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , , | Posted on 9:00 AM

It's tough to be original in Hollywood these days. Sure, you can occasionally find a unique idea or two, but if it's too new, producers won't want to back it. Instead, they'd prefer tried and true ideas that have proven themselves capable of making money. Whip It, the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page, does not cover any new ground in the area of coming-of-age tales, except maybe the concept of roller derby as a means of belonging. Instead, it embraces the classics and reminds its audience of the ability to imbue oneself with initiative and pride and to fulfill anything one desires.

Good Hair

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , | Posted on 3:50 PM

Chris Rock's Good Hair is a documentary that looks at what "good hair" means to African-Americans in our part of the world. It's an incredibly funny and thought provoking movie. The movie brings up a lot of discussion on what hair means to different people. Although it never judges anyone directly it does poke fun at a few people and companies that take hair and themselves too seriously. Always funny. Never judging.

Movie News: January 17-23

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Posted by Spencer Diedrick | Posted in , , | Posted on 10:36 PM

Well, the awards season is wrapping up, and the Golden Globes were first on the list. Ricky Gervais, the ceremony's first in 15 years, admitted that it is more of a party for the money-making freeloaders of Hollywood than an actual show. And in the end, the Hollwood Foreign Press Association showed their colors: they chose megahit Avatar as the best picture of the year and James Cameron as the best director. The same went for acting accolades: Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, and Robert Downey Jr. won for The Blind Side, Julie & Julia and Sherlock Holmes, respectively. The rest of the awards went to locks no matter how much of a crowd their film drew in: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds, and Mo'Nique for Precious. The Screen Actors Guild Awards the following weekend repeated the winners' successes, much to my chagrin. Let's see if the Oscar nominations next week reflect any impact from the Globes and SAG Awards.

The Spy Next Door (Lil Devil)

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Posted by Veer-Naveen Toor | Posted in , , , | Posted on 11:34 AM

I admit it; when I see Jackie Chan's name on anything, I'm instintly curious about what has he gotten himself into this time. In his latest release The Spy Next Door, he plays....wait for it....A Chinese National who has been "loaned" out to the CIA (at this point in time I'd like to point out that the likleyhood that the Chinese government would loan out anyone to the United States is beyond words I can use in a family friendly article). Yeah, raise your hand if you've scene a version of this before. Seriously though, Jackie is at home in the film. You get exactly what you expect from him; moments of unbelievable martial arts skill and the predictable slapstick.

Book of Eli

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , | Posted on 9:01 AM

Every actor gets to a point where they want to do a vanity project simply for vanity's sake. Book of Eli is Denzel Washington's vanity project. Washington, the son of a Pentecostal preacher, plays the protagonist in the film who carries a shotgun and a sword, but his main weapon is his faith.

The Book of Eli (Devil's Advocate Review)

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Posted by Dave Bartik | Posted in , , | Posted on 9:00 AM

For those looking for a good ole fashioned Christian-themed blockbuster but thought The Chronicles of Narnia too childish or Fireproof too horrible, The Book of Eli may be a perfect fit. Never before has so much bloodshed and so many decapitations come together in the name of The Book (well, at least if you don’t count real life).

Actor Spotlight: The Devil's Advocate

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Posted by Patrick Newson | Posted in | Posted on 10:23 AM

Al Pacino is an actors actor. To every part he brings that special something to make his role an instant classic. From a softly spoken line to the occasional hoo wah he gets the job done. Sometime it makes me wonder if he can make a bad movie. The Devil's Advocate had the makings of a potential disaster. Keanu Reeves crappy southern accent is enough to bring the ship down. However thanks to the genius of an Al Pacino that does not happen. Enough of my acting man crush lets talk about the movie.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

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Posted by Spencer Diedrick | Posted in , , , , , | Posted on 9:00 AM

There is a recently coined slang term that best describes this film: "hot mess". Sure the plot is scatterbrained and the narrative confusing, but the images and scenery are just too lavish for anyone to care. That's not to say that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, starring Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Verne Troyer and Heath Ledger in his last completed role, was a horrible movie; it was merely more of a distracting experience than a complete picture. It certainly did have a few memorable moments, but all in all, it felt more like writer/director Terry Gilliam was indulging in a CGI extravaganza (trying to tie all its fantastic images together with a very loose plot) and loving every minute of it.

Episode 7: Up in The Air

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in | Posted on 5:03 PM

In this episode Devil's Advocate Spencer Diedrick joins Mike to discuss the George Clooney/Jason Reitman project. We discuss the merits of webcam firings and the appeal of the Fantastic Silver Fox himself.


Listen to the episode and we promise to send George Clooney to fire you in person.


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Devil's DVD Disappointment: Gamer

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in | Posted on 11:35 AM

Originally posted by Veer-Naveen Toor

I really wanted to like this film; after all I personally feel that Michael C. Hall (Showtime's Dexter) and Kyra Sedgwick (TNT's The Closer) are on top of their respective games in their current incarnations on television. I wanted to see how Gerard Butler (300) would grow as an actor after leading us against a force of thousands in his last movie. I even wanted to even see if Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor could outgrow the Crank franshise. In the end Gamer for the lack of a better phrase, has no game.

Devil's DVD Advocacy: Invention of Lying

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , | Posted on 11:26 AM

Who doesn't like a little self-deprecating humor now and then? I did say "a little" right? The Invention of Lying was written by the film's star, Ricky Gervais, and there is a wide expanse of little pot shots at his weight, height, and other various features strewn all throughout the film. The interesting part is that these remarks are born out of the notion that nobody can tell a lie. My question is: sure people can't lie, but are they allowed to use a modicum of candor when speaking to or about people?

Youth in Revolt

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Posted by Veer-Naveen Toor | Posted in , , , , | Posted on 11:27 AM

Young men will always in their innocence believe that they can make a difference; that they can make their own mark in this world. Youth in Revolt is a traditional coming of age film with a familiar twist; the nice guy trying not to finish last. Surprisingly funny at times, the film fails to maintain those moments for long periods of time.

Leap Year

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Posted by Mike Pampinella | Posted in , , | Posted on 11:27 AM

Leap Year is typical post-Oscar craze fare. And the truly sad part is that Oscar sweetheart Amy Adams is in this uninspired selection. She will no doubt come out unscathed, because everyone is allowed at least one bomb. Right?