REVIEW: Wanted [2008]

“Not me, fate” Based solely on Timur Bekmambetov’s Nochnoy dozor, I’d see anything the man makes that comes stateside. With that said, no I have not watched the sequel Dnevnoy dozor, but that’s only because I want to be positive that the version I see is an unedited Russian cut. So, the next work to check out becomes the English-language, comic book based Wanted. The trailers show how this will be a visceral treat above all else, hopefully containing a great story too, but not necessarily needing one. A lot…

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REVIEW: Hancock [2008]

“Tonight, He Comes” Hancock has the kind of premise that you wonder why it took so long for someone to put it on the big screen. With the plethora of comic book movies coming to cinemas this decade, it was only a matter of time before we were given a tale of a washed up superhero, drunk and lonely, being berated for his destruction rather than praised for his bravery. Alan Moore delved into this realm with his graphic novel Watchmen, (for which it seems Zack Snyder has not massacred…

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REVIEW: WALL•E [2008]

“Define dancing” Robots falling in love. There is a lot to like about the new Pixar film WALL•E. The animation goes without saying—better than anything out there. The glares, the environments, everything is rendered spectacularly, right down to the flame of a Zippo lighter. As for the story, leave it to these wizards for creating a tale that hits on a gut level, letting our simplest emotions come to the surface in order speak to our hearts and souls. With fewer words than Arnold Schwarzenegger had to speak in Terminator…

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REVIEW: Get Smart [2008]

“Chuck Norris and a BB-gun” It’s always nice to leave a theatre thinking how much better the film you just saw was compared to what you expected it to be going in. I’m not saying that the big screen version of Get Smart is a classic work of cinema history, but when you go in thinking that the overall piece will be boring, asinine, and a waste of time only to come out with a smile on your face knowing that you’ve been entertained for two hours: it is a…

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REVIEW: Hors de prix [Priceless] [2007]

“Ten more seconds” Considering the last film I saw featuring Audrey Tautou was the not so great The Da Vinci Code, when I saw the trailer for her latest French language work, Hors de prix, I jumped at the chance to see this beauty once again. With a premise of her as a gold digger, allowing wealthy men to pay for her completely, accidentally thinking a hotel bartender/bellboy was a rich businessman and subsequently finding out the truth, it seemed to have potential for laughs. Especially once you see that…

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REVIEW: The Love Guru [2008]

“Mariska Hargitay” I’ve always been told that if you have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all. So, I have to tell you all the best parts of the new Michael Myers vehicle, The Love Guru. You’ve got one really funny joke about Guru Pitka’s mom getting a job that kills even though it was in the trailer, Stephen Colbert finally hits one out of the park as a robot cyborg after failing three previous times to elicit any laughs, Jessica Alba is gorgeous as always if you…

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REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk [2008]

“Days since last incident” Leave it to this drama lover to think that the new film The Incredible Hulk is more boring than Ang Lee’s Hulk from 2003, despite the fact everyone in the entire world hated that version because it was “too slow”. Maybe it was the departure in genre tone that Lee brought to the movie making it a psychological tale of humanity rather than an action, comic-book romp, but I was pleasantly surprised after thinking it would just be Hulk-Smash over and over again. The funny thing is…

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REVIEW: The Fall [2008]

“Googly, googly, go away” The first true masterpiece of 2008 has arrived just as we cross the mid-point of the year. Yes, the film did see its first release in 2006, however, after traveling through festivals, Tarsem Singh’s first feature in over six years debuts stateside to local theatres. The trailer alone shows how spectacular the cinematography and visual style will be, my only question hinged on whether the story and emotional weight would equal the scenery. With a cast of people I have never seen or heard of, besides…

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REVIEW: The Happening [2008]

“Cheese and crackers” Ah, M. Night Shyamalan. The man who was overrated until I saw the masterpiece that was The Village, followed up by the beautiful fairy-tale Lady in the Water, vaulting him into my must-see echelon, no matter what preconceptions I have based on trailers or word-of-mouth. Well, my blind faith has somewhat let me down in this instance. No, it wasn’t the left wing agenda that is subtly prevalent throughout, nor the blatant “news brief” used to shove said agenda down our throats at the end. What happened…

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DESIGN: The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center [spec]

2008 The Cosmetic Laser & Vein Center: website Wanting to get rid of their current identity logo, The Cosmetic Vein & Laser Center enlisted us to craft something with an organic feel, playing off the idea of a leaf and its vein system. Using a leaf by itself, we then incorporated in a face as well as changing the idea to a butterfly. Ultimately, the client decided to stay with its original logo rather than re-do all of its promotional material. Alternate versions:

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REVIEW: Luther [2003]

“Feed the fire with canon law” Martin Luther was a rockstar. Now I won’t pretend to be knowledgeable in theology or that I remember way back when to school years learning about the Reformation, so whether the ideas and words spoken in the film Luther are correct, I haven’t a clue. However, either way I couldn’t agree more with them. This is a man that never wanted a revolt; he never portrayed his views as an alternative to the Roman Catholic Church. No, he loved his religion and his God.…

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