Monthly Archives: December 2012

Lincoln

Posted on December 30, 2012 by filmstruck

Lincoln may leave you vaguely craving at least one completely cliched, heroic, dramatic speech from the most beloved of American heroes, while knowing in your heart that its restraint is its beauty and strength. On one aspect however, there is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, adaptation, awards, Drama, Oscar contender, political | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Movies That Deserve One-Liner Reviews

Posted on December 29, 2012 by filmstruck

There were a remarkable number of really appalling movies I watched this year, for which I can’t spare the time to write long scathing reviews. So here’s my one-liner (or thereabouts) assessment of them, all rated 1/5. 1. The Raven: … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, General, lists, Opinion | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Moonrise Kingdom

Posted on December 29, 2012 by filmstruck

The saddest thing about Moonrise Kingdom is that it’s a movie about 12 year olds that 12 year olds can’t (or won’t) watch. It professes to be a celebration of innocence and carefree, wilful adolescence but somehow feels hollow, forced … Continue reading →

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Prometheus

Posted on December 25, 2012 by filmstruck

In all honesty, the fact that I watched Prometheus on a tiny airline screen probably put the movie at a disadvantage. Seriously, no director, least of all Ridley Scott, makes a movie for the in-flight entertainment audience, however discerning they … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, action thriller, commercial, sequel | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Argo

Posted on December 24, 2012 by filmstruck

In his third outing as director, Ben Affleck shows skill and technical expertise, as he brings a little known strange-but-true story to screen with accuracy and dramatic cohesion. Argo’s story is far-fetched, but its the stuff spy novels are made … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, action thriller, Drama, Oscar contender, political | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Frankenweenie

Posted on December 23, 2012 by filmstruck

Frankenweenie was born as a 1984 short that Tim Burton made for Disney to play alongside the classic Pinocchio, but unfortunately its morbid tendencies were deemed unsuitable for children and got him fired. Now 28 years later, Disney, probably dreaming … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, animation, horror | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Posted on December 22, 2012 by filmstruck

This movie would have probably worked better as an animation feature, on the lines of something as whimsical and endearing as Up, because an animation movie is just so much more conducive to the suspension of disbelief. Such as it … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Drama | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Posted on December 20, 2012 by filmstruck

Tolkien’s slender novel about Bilbo Baggins’ adventures was never as epic as the Lord of The Rings. It was also not designed to be a trilogy. So when you sit through three hours of the movie only to find that … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, adaptation, awards, Drama, Oscar contender, sequel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Brave

Posted on December 1, 2012 by filmstruck

The three animation studio giants have their territories pretty well defined. Disney makes the fairy tales (Snow White, Pinocchio), DreamWorks makes the fables about friendship and misfits (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda), and Pixar stands tall with its delightfully original tales … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, animation | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Dark Shadows

Posted on December 1, 2012 by filmstruck

Please join me in a minute of grief-stricken silence at the demise of the long-running successful Tim Burton-Johnny Depp collaborative relationship, which now sinks like The Titanic in a hurry to get to the bottom of the ocean. Or the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, adaptation, horror | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments