REVIEW: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry [2007]

“You can come out of the down low” I don’t like the fact that I will go into films with a preconception about how I may end up enjoying them. Adam Sandler’s vehicle I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry was one of these. Never really seeking it out due to the horrible track record his comedies have had of late, I wasn’t exactly psyched to sit down and watch. At the start I was pretty much in agreement with where my head was going in, the fake Brooklyn accents,…

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REVIEW: Sex Drive [2008]

“I refuse to be embarrassed by a car that looks like a Trapper Keeper” Not to badmouth American Pie, I actually really enjoyed it and its sequels, albeit less with each installment (and I mean the theatrically released offspring), but I must blame it for the dearth of quality for copycats each year. Sure there are some surprises—Eurotrip, I know, I really liked it, sue me—mixed in with the drivel, it’s just a shame they are so few and far between. Nothing will ever compare to the greats such as…

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REVIEW: Hamlet 2 [2008]

“My heart’s been stepped on like a baby kitten” If you have any predilection for being offended or hail from the quaint city of Tucson, Arizona, stay far away from Andrew Fleming’s Hamlet 2. To say it pulls no punches and could care less about being politically correct would be an understatement. With a song titled “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” and racism/bigotry running rampant, not to mention more that will make you question the meaning of decency, do not be surprised that it’s a film with a polarizing effect. A…

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DESIGN: Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Program 2008

2008 Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Program 2008, published by Buffalo Spree Publishing, Inc. With a supplied poster for look, I reshaped it for the program cover and designed the layout of the book based on its motifs, color, and fonts. Information includes sponsors, supporters, artist photos and work, schedules, etc.

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REVIEW: Super Troopers [2002]

“It’s Afghanistanimation” Ah, Broken Lizard. I would say that this is the movie that started it all, but of course it is not. That mantle is held by Puddle Cruiser, little seen at the time (self-distributed across country, college campus to college campus) and released on dvd upon the troupe’s burgeoning popularity that possesses some charm if only showing what was to soon come. Super Troopers is therefore the film that brought the group into the mainstream consciousness. The jokes may be crude and the humor lowbrow, but the movie…

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REVIEW: Ne le dis à personne [Tell No One] [2007]

“Be careful, I love you” Ne le dis à personne [Tell No One] is an ambitious adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel by French actor Guillaume Canet. I was completely surprised when checking out the actors’ names and seeing his as character Philippe Neuville, a deceased horse rider and integral part of the story. The writer/director could not be this young man; with all the accolades and success in my eyes of this intricately plotted thriller, I was expecting someone older and more accomplished at the craft. Knowing that this…

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DESIGN: The Western New York Performing Arts Guide 2008

2008 The Western New York Performing Arts Guide 2008, published by Buffalo Spree Publishing, Inc. Front Cover: All photos were taken and then manipulated in Photoshop with the same filters to keep a consistent feel throughout. Facades were then collaged in a way to keep all visible, while also making sense in its cohesive whole. Inside Layout: Using the building photos as header icons to designate the location of each theatre company / orchestral group / etc., descriptions are listed along with schedules for the 2008-2009 season.

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REVIEW: Once Upon a Time in the West [1968]

“Watch those false notes” Never having watched many Westerns, I just know from what I have heard, that they are chock full of anti-heroes. Men who live conflicted lives and, while they may do the right thing, probably only help others when it ultimately serves their own purposes. These aren’t businessmen, but just plain men … an ancient race. With Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, this cannot be truer. Between our three male leads, and even our female star, not a one can be called a…

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REVIEW: Tropic Thunder [2008]

“Welcome to the goodie room” Despite my somewhat indifference, bordering on dislike, of Ben Stiller and most of what he does, Tropic Thunder has been on my much-anticipated list for some time now. The audacity of what he was attempting, spoofing the industry that was giving him the money to do so, blatantly and lovingly, was too great to ignore. And then there is the cast of stars with cameo after cameo of surprise faces joining in on the fun, not to mention the intense marketing strategy pushing it along.…

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REVIEW: Diabolik [1968]

“Anti exhilarating gas pills” Ah, Italian cinema from the late 60’s. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Mario Bava brings the world an adaptation of the comic Diabolik. Complete with cheesy set pieces, laughable heists, and over-the-top sexuality, this film may not be quite bad enough to be good, but it isn’t enough to be bad either. A lot is fun here and that must count for something. Feel free to check your brain at the door, (or perhaps you shouldn’t even wake up that morning with it), because once…

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REVIEW: Reprise [2006]

“I wish we could just meet all over again” Joachim Trier has definitely accomplished something with his debut feature film. The opening sequence is so disorienting that you can’t begin to expect what will happen next. Showing a montage of what “could” happen once our two leads mail out their manuscripts, from success to failure to meeting again and succeeding together, is a bold move. I wasn’t sure if we had just been privy to the entire film condensed and would soon see the details, or if the title of…

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