Classic Movies: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

By Jason Haskins


I'm picky about musicals. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but I'm awfully reserved. Some completely throw me off guard with their creativity like 1981's Pennies from Heaven. Others make me want to rip my eyes and ears out (...Grease...admit it, Grease sucks). Then there were the ones I grew up on like The Wizard of Oz--which isn't just one of my all-time favorite movies, but one of my favorite musicals as well (if you'd classify it as such). However, when I think of the Hollywood musical and one full of dance numbers and pleasant story, only one film comes to mind: Singin' in the Rain. This is the perfect musical with one of the best stories the genre has to offer.

Another Take: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Review

By Jason Haskins


After a summer of disappointment (Green Lantern), triumph (Thor), and school (X-Men: First Class), we’ve finally come to the last of the big comic book movies of the year: Captain America. Originally made in 1990 starring JD Salinger’s son, it’s safe to say that I found it hard to believe this character could translate well into the dynamic  medium of film. As my first grade math teacher always said, I was pathetically wrong.

Crapsterpieces: On Deadly Ground (1994)

By Paco McCullough

It’s very easy to call Steven Seagal a talentless hack capable only of making horrible movies (I just did). However, after watching 1994’s On Deadly Ground, I’m fairly certain that Steven Seagal not only is the most intelligent man in the action movie business, he is also one of the most aware what the target audience of an action movie wants. After seeing this film, I realized my expectations for action movies are far too low.

Martial Arts Madness: Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice (1972)

By Paco McCullough

I was really excited when Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice started. After opening to an epic 70s soundtrack and well built sets of feudal Japan. Things just got better when I recognized the actor who plays Hanzo, Shintaro Katsu, the star of the Zatoichi films and tv show. In this, the first film of a trilogy, Hanzo is a law officer in a small town who stands against corruption. An antihero in the mold of Dirty Harry, he breaks all the rules. To properly investigate the case, he must work with criminals and even commit criminal acts himself. Overall, these elements of the film are incredibly effective and fun. These more conventional samurai elements of the film all make this film worth recommending to fans of the genre.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011) Review

By Tanner McCullough

Daniel Craig wakes up in the middle of the desert with no idea who or where he is and a mysterious bracelet attached to his arm. After being confronted by a group of bounty hunters, he is able to quickly dispatch all of them, without knowing why he is so good. Craig rides into the town of Absolution, where he soon meets a preacher (Clancy Brown) with a quick draw and a heart of gold, a timid doctor (Sam Rockwell) who is tired of being picked on, a strong woman with a mysterious past (Olivia Wilde) and the Dollarhydes. The Dollarhydes are the ranching family who own Absolution. They’re led by curt patriarch Woodrow, though our first experience with them is the reckless son, Percy (Paul Dano). Within minutes Craig is wanted (it turns out he’s a train robber named Jake Lonergan). If this all sounds familiar to you, it’s because it is.

Comic Movie Collection: X-Men: First Class (2011)

By Jason Haskins


X-Men: First Class is the newest X-Men movie since 2009's disastrous X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which also happened to be the worst since 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. On a positive note, this movie is the best X-Men flick since X2: X-Men United, but is it related to any of these above-mentioned films? Well, kind of.

Videogame Bits: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

By Terry Cleveland

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is set in a barren wasteland: the post-apocalyptic aftermath of an alien meteor that struck the planet forty years ago. We then meet Dr Aki Ross (voiced by Ming Na) who is studying the aliens (called phantoms) who instantly suck the life-force out of any living thing they come into contact with. Dr. Ross is searching for spirits to put together to make a neutral “spirit wave” to rid the planet of the phantoms. She then teams up with a group of soldiers voiced by Alec Baldwin, Steve Bucemi, Ving Rames, and Peri Gilpin to help stop the invasion and restore life to the planet.

Cinemecca Podcast #03

Cinemecca Podcast Episode 03:

Captain America, Friends with Benefits, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and New Releases. Listen as Paco, Sam, Terry, and Jason expose the seedy underbelly of the romantic comedy and immerse themselves in metaphors.

Captain America, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2, Friends with Benefits by Cinemecca

Cult Films: In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

By Jason Haskins

Why, oh, why do good horror movies get forgotten? In the Mouth of Madness was not one I grew up with, but after discovering it on VHS a series of years ago and loving it, I was flabbergasted at how many people did not know if its existence. You know John Carpenter, right? The guy responsible for The Thing and Halloween (among many other goodies). You know Sam Neill? The lead in Dead Calm and Jurassic Park? You like horror movies with intelligent plots, creepy interiors, and interesting concepts? This should be your cup of soup, horror brethren.

New Releases: July 26th

This week in New Releases we see three popular releases that are all pretty sucky. Source Code is supposed to be a fun little cyber thriller from Duncan Jones, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night was the small release earlier this year that did no business, and Trust is the newest film from David Schwimmer (you haven't heard of it?!). See our our reviews of these after the jump.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) Review

By Terry Cleveland

The Harry Potter film franchise has finally drawn to its epic conclusion after nearly a decade. As it is the conclusion to a series of films that started when the principal characters weren’t even old enough to drive a car, this one had some hefty shoes to fill.

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Cinemecca