Guides to the National Film Registry
America’s Film Legacy
America’s Film Legacy 2009-2010
-
Guides to the National Film Registry
-
Available from Continuum, Amazon, and other outlets, these two volumes offer commentaries and full credits for each of the first 550 films selected to the National Film Registry.
Category Archives: Action
Wolfs review: The Cinema of Privilege
The conmen from Oceans Eleven have aged out of the rackets, lost their girlfriends, and have been forced into real jobs to make ends meet. That’s the basic premise of Wolfs, a lazy bromance that rests on the fading charms … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Streaming
Leave a comment
Crescent City review: Murder in Little Rock
Powerful casting helps compensate for weak writing in Crescent City, a mean-spirited film noir set in Little Rock, Arkansas. Familiar faces like Terence Howard, Esai Morales, and an effective Alec Baldwin have no trouble navigating the twists and turns in … Continue reading
Posted in Action, On demand
Leave a comment
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: dull WWII spy romp
Every now and then Guy Ritchie makes a film in a crisp, focused style that can be utterly beguiling. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not one of them. Filled with snark, bombast, and empty violence, this WWII actioner is … Continue reading
Posted in Action
Leave a comment
The plight of test pilots in Born to Run
Released theatrically last year, Born to Fly follows pilots undergoing rigorous training in order to test mainland China’s experimental stealth fighter jet. Deeply patriotic and extremely silly, it’s propaganda devoid of suspense, humor, and credible characterizations. The screenplay by Gui … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian
Leave a comment
Tak Sakaguchi is the One-Percenter
For several years Well Go USA has been one of the best distributors of genre films in the country. But the company finds itself in a bind with One-Percent Warrior (aka One-Percenter), a martial arts adventure starring Tak Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian
Leave a comment
Jason Statham back in business as The Beekeeper
Action icon Jason Statham stars as the titular Beekeeper, an assassin retired from a top-secret, off-the-books branch of government designed to eliminate threats when all else fails. Statham keeps his bees at retired teacher Phylicia Rashad’s farm. When evil scammers … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Andy Lau stars in I Did It My Way
Andy Lau continues his remarkable resurgence in the crime thriller I Did It My Way, yet another variation on Infernal Affairs. Lau plays George Lam, lawyer for a drug ring so powerful it has evaded legal consequences for its crimes. … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian, Uncategorized
Leave a comment
Life is a cage fight in Rumble Through the Dark
You don’t expect a dark, gritty boxing drama from Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, but that’s exactly what Rumble Through the Dark is. Set in a grim world of fight clubs, liquor stores, traveling carnivals, and orphanages, the film … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Drama
Leave a comment
Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan: Blockbuster is the latest stage in his comeback
Shah Rukh Khan is the whole show in Jawan, his second blockbuster adventure in less than a year. Despite a strong supporting cast, Khan dominates the film, performing the kind of over-the-top heroics that have made him a box-office favorite. … Continue reading
Posted in Action, Asian, India
Leave a comment
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant: a war story with consequences
It makes sense to approach Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant cautiously. The execrable Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is a glaring example of how lazy and listless the director’s output can be. Don’t worry. GRTC is worth your time. It’s another … Continue reading
Posted in Action
Leave a comment