Swift shot: Jack Black almost saved this freak-show of a poorly edited farce based on factual events. Richard Linklater's style is intact, but it is not something I care for personally. Credit to him for making it near impossible to discern if these were actors or real interviewees - the professional actors did a tremendous job blending in with the Carthage, Texas yokels. … [Read more...] about Bernie
Battleship
"I can't wait for Parcheesi, the movie!" - - - Aceman Swift shot: Join the Navy, they said, kill some aliens, they said, and then get the girl. This film is what sailors fantasize about when they are bored on watch. This movie was basically ID4 meets Pearl Harbor, but while it was complete Unbelievable Bull Shit, or UBBS as a friend of mine likes to say, it was still … [Read more...] about Battleship
Dark Shadows
"If a man can become a monster, then a monster can become a man." Swift shot: Freaky, weird, romantic, it's all Burton and Depp. A tragic love story set across time, where all magical and maniacal things are possible. Where I found it lacking was in the ensemble concept, a lot of the characters got dashed away, like storylines hurled from the craggy rocks to the … [Read more...] about Dark Shadows
The Avengers
"Freedom is life's great lie." --- Loki of Asgard. Swift shot: This was the best film I have reviewed since claiming the Rick Swift title! When you were a little kid dreaming of making a film, The Avengers is the film you were dreaming about making. Joss Whedon has again done the incredible on film, bringing together some of the strongest, or … [Read more...] about The Avengers
The Five Year Engagement
Sometimes you just gotta take a bite. Swift shot: Predictably silly, romantic comedy, heavier on the romance than the comedy - but still worth a halfhearted bite or two. Jason Segel co-wrote the screenplay with his The Muppets friend Nicholas Stoller. Starring his favorite actor, himself, Segel works opposite the incredibly sophisticated, classy yet charmingly goofy … [Read more...] about The Five Year Engagement