Film Review: Kubo and the Two Strings

‘Kubo’ is a visual masterpiece!

Beetle, Kubo, and Monkey looking high...
Beetle, Kubo, and Monkey looking high…

I’ve never seen stop-motion animation as inventively crafted or as embedded in the storytelling as I saw in Kubo and the Two Strings. Laika, the animation studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls, releases their most ambitious film yet with Kubo. Part parable and part fantasy epic, Kubo has a bit of everything, and though it gets a little over-indulgent in the final ten minutes, the film never feels overcrowded. Credit is due to first time director Travis Knight (son of Phil Knight, of Nike), who does a solid job of executing on an intelligent script by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. The filmmakers infuse Kubo with unique action sequences, family-friendly humor, some nightmarish chills, and strong emotional themes. When these aspects are woven together with solid voice acting and stunning visuals, Kubo becomes a memorable cinematic tapestry.

Continue reading “Film Review: Kubo and the Two Strings

Film Review: Interstellar

A space opera.  A sci-fi blockbuster.  A heavy hitter.  Just enjoy the ride.

Matthew McConaughey gives the thumbs up to space travel.
Matthew McConaughey gives the thumbs up to space travel.

*NOTICE:  Many people have tried tirelessly to avoid exposure to any spoilers or plot details (or anything, really) regarding Interstellar.  I found it hard to write about Interstellar without mentioning ‘anything, really’, so be forewarned*

Continue reading “Film Review: Interstellar”

Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2013

Spinning Platters film critics Carrie Kahn and Chad Liffmann present their Top 10 Films of 2013.  Here’s Carrie’s list, presented in alphabetical order.

1.) All is Lost
Robert Refdord struggles against the elements in All is Lost.
Robert Redford struggles against the elements in All is Lost.

That a film with just a single actor and virtually no dialog can be absolutely riveting is a testament both to Robert Redford’s brilliant acting and to writer/director J.C. Chandor’s exceptional skill at his craft. Redford says more with his rugged face and worried eyes than most actors do with a wordy, five-star script. Not since Jaws and The Perfect Storm has a film so totally absorbed us in a man-against-sea survival story. And Chandor’s ambiguous ending lends itself to hours of debate and discussion; everyone who has seen this film has a strong opinion, and that a near-silent film can generate such passion makes it special and noteworthy. Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2013”

Film Review: “The Paperboy”

Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, and David Oyelowo in THE PAPERBOY

starring: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, David Oyelowo, Macy Gray

written by: Lee Daniels and Pete Dexter

directed by: Lee Daniels

MPAA: Rated R for strong sexual content, violence and language

Continue reading “Film Review: “The Paperboy””

Spinning Platters Interview: William Friedkin on “Killer Joe”

William Friedkin directs Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple on the set of KILLER JOE

“Fire away. Anything. Don’t be polite.” William Friedkin is feeling pretty candid these days. Maybe it’s because after nearly six decades in the business, the Academy Award-winning director of such classics as The French Connection and The Exorcist has nothing left to prove. Maybe it’s because he’s been working on his memoirs, due next year from HarperCollins, and is still in confessional mode. Or maybe he’s just well past the age where you stop giving a fuck what anyone thinks about you (he turns 77 this month). The night before our conversation, Spinning Platters attended a screening of his gleefully sadistic new movie, the NC-17-rated Killer Joe, followed by a moderated Q&A with Friedkin that quickly turned into a rowdy one-man show. Refusing to be seated, Friedkin stood in front of the jam-packed theater for nearly an hour and pontificated at length about his career, the controversy over Killer Joe, and anything the audience wanted to talk about. He even volunteered questions he figured we were too sheepish to ask (“Who wants to hear how I discovered Linda Blair?”). When he was informed that the theater needed him to wrap up, he was unfazed. “Why, what are they gonna play? Isn’t it too late to start a movie?”

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: William Friedkin on “Killer Joe””

Film Review: “Magic Mike”

Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Alex Pettyfer in MAGIC MIKE

starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Cody Horn, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Olivia Munn, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Gabriel Iglesias, Betsy Brandt, Riley Keough

written by: Reid Carolin

directed by: Steven Soderbergh

MPAA: Rated R for pervasive sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use

Continue reading “Film Review: “Magic Mike””

Spinning Platters Interview: Richard Linklater on “Bernie”

Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black in Richard Linklater's BERNIE

Ever since leisurely ambling onto the cinematic scene with his generation-defining 1991 classic Slacker, Richard Linklater has remained one of the most influential and innovative figures in American independent film. A restless creative force frequently driven to push himself into personally uncharted territory, Linklater’s filmography is remarkably diverse: ensembles pieces beloved (Dazed and Confused) and overlooked (Fast Food Nation); dialogue-driven character studies romantic (Before Sunset/Before Sunrise) and claustrophobic (Tape); animated films adored (Waking Life) and alienating (A Scanner Darkly); and big-studio comedies iconic (The School of Rock) and ignored (The Bad News Bears). And now, for his 15th feature film, Linklater has returned to his native Texas to explore yet another genre: darkly comedic true crime.

Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Richard Linklater on “Bernie””

Film Review: “The Lincoln Lawyer”

Matthew McConaughey in THE LINCOLN LAWYER. © 2011 - Lionsgate

starring: Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, Michael Peña, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, Trace Adkins, Katherine Moennig

written by: John Romano (screenplay), Michael Connelly (novel)

directed by: Brad Furman

MPAA: Rated R for some violence, sexual content and language.

Continue reading “Film Review: “The Lincoln Lawyer””