REVIEW: The Abyss [1989]
Posted by Jared Mobarak on March 25, 2014 · Leave a Comment
“You have to look with better eyes than that” Even the most rudimentary research into the production of James Cameron‘s The Abyss yields horror story upon horror story as frustrations shattered personal lives and behind the scenes decisions fought against its genre, budget, and appeal. There’s the writer/director basing lead character Lindsey Brigman on producer […]
Picking Winners at the 86th Annual Academy Awards
Posted by Jared Mobarak on February 27, 2014 · 1 Comment
The Oscars are generally quite boring, since we often know well in advance what is going to win Best Picture, Director, etc. But this year? Not so much. Sure, there are heavy favorites — see below. But it is entirely possible there will be some real surprises. Of course, I could be completely wrong. But […]
Category essays, oscars · Tags 12 Years a Slave, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Albert Berger, Alexander Payne, Alfonso Cuarón, American Hustle, Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Katagas, August: Osage County, Avatar, Barkhad Abdi, Before Midnight, Ben Affleck, Billy Ray, Blue Jasmine, Bob Nelson, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, Brie Larson, Bruce Dern, Captain Phillips, Cate Blanchett, Charles Roven, Charlie Kaufman, Children of Men, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christian Bale, Craig Borten, Dallas Buyers Club, Dana Brunetti, David Heyman, David O. Russell, Dazed and Confused, Dede Gardner, Dirty Pretty Things, Doubt, Emma Thompson, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Eric Warren Singer, Ethan Hawke, Fruitvale Station, Gabrielle Tana, George Clooney, Gladiator, Gravity, Her, Inside Llewyn Davis, Jack Nicholson, James Franco, Jared Leto, Jeff Pope, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Kleiner, Joaquin Phoenix, Joey McFarland, John Goodman, John Ridley, Jonah Hill, Jonathan Gordon, Judi Dench, Julia Roberts, Julie Delpy, June Squibb, Kim Krizan, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lupita Nyong’o, Magic Mike, Martin Scorsese, Matthew McConaughey, Megan Ellison, Melisa Wallack, Meryl Streep, Mia Farrow, Michael B. Jordan, Michael De Luca, Michael Fassbender, Nebraska, Octavia Spencer, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Oprah Winfrey, Philomena, Rachel Winter, Richard Farnsworth, Richard Linklater, Richard Suckle, Robbie Brenner, Ron Yerxa, Rosemary's Baby, Sally Hawkins, Sandra Bullock, Scott Rudin, Shame, Silver Linings Playbook, Spike Jonze, Spring Breakers, Steve Coogan, Steve McQueen, Steven Soderbergh, Susan Lucci, Terence Winter, The Fighter, The Hunger Games, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Master, The Paperboy, The Wolf of Wall Street, Tracey Seaward, Traffic, Tropic Thunder, True Detective, Vincent Landay, Winter’s Bone, Woody Allen
TIFF13 REVIEW: Gravity [2013]
Posted by Jared Mobarak on September 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment
“You should see the sun on the Ganges. It’s amazing.” Remember back in the 90s at the advent of IMAX technology how certain amusement parks would have a screen with some “experience” putting you “into the action”? Well Alfonso Cuarón has made one of those for the twenty-first century in Gravity. While I admit such […]
REVIEW: Hugo [2011]
Posted by Jared Mobarak on November 21, 2011 · Leave a Comment
“Where are your designated adults?” When Hugo was announced as Martin Scorsese’s next film, little was mentioned about Brian Selznick’s Caldecott Medal-winning source material, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The big news was the auteur relishing an opportunity to helm his first family film and willingly delve into the world of 3D—a medium seen mostly […]
Category action/adventure, drama, family, film reviews · Tags Asa Butterfield, Auguste Lumière, Avatar, Ben Kingsley, Brian Selznick, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Lee, Emily Mortimer, Frances de la Tour, Georges Méliès, Helen McCrory, Hugo, John Logan, Jude Law, L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat, Le Voyage dans la Lune, Louis Lumière, Martin Scorsese, Michael Stuhlbarg, Ray Winstone, Richard Griffiths, Sacha Baron Cohen
The 83rd Oscars recap through tweets …
Posted by Jared Mobarak on March 1, 2011 · 1 Comment
@jaredmobarak • Oscar time … congrats to The King’s Speech … why bother with the show when everyone thinks they know the winner? The 83rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony was quite possibly its worst incarnation the past decade. And things finally seemed to be going the right way. Hugh Jackman was fun; Steve Martin and […]
Category essays, oscars · Tags 127 Hours, A Single Man, A.R. Rahman, Aaron Sorkin, Academy Awards, Akon, Alec Baldwin, Alice in Wonderland, Andrew Ruhemann, Andy Roddick, Angelina Jolie, Angus Wall, Anne Hathaway, Anne Rosellini, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Atticus Ross, Avatar, Banksy, Barack Obama, Billy Crystal, Biutiful, Black Swan, Bruce Vilanch, Cee Lo Green, Charlie Sheen, Chris Farley, Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Colleen Atwood, Corey Haim, Country Strong, Danny DeVito, David Seidler, Debra Granik, Dido, Edith Piaf, Eli Wallach, Empire of the Sun, Florence Welch, Frozen River, Funny Or Die, George Clooney, Greedy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hailee Steinfeld, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger, Helen Mirren, Hugh Jackman, Hæven, In a Better World, Inception, Inside Job, Jack Nicholson, Jacki Weaver, James Franco, Javier Bardem, Jean-Luc Godard, Jimmy Kimmel, John Hawkes, Julia Roberts, Just Go With It, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Kirk Baxter, Kirk Douglas, Lena Horne, Leonardo DiCaprio, License to Drive, Luke Matheny, Mandy Moore, Marissa Tomei, Matthew McConaughey, Mel Gibson, Melissa Leo, Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox, Morgan Freeman, Natalie Portman, Neil Patrick Harris, nine inch nails, Oprah Winfrey, Oscars, Randy Newman, Rick Baker, Robert Stromberg, Roger Deakins, Roger Ebert, Russell Brand, Shaun Tan, Steve Martin, Stranger No More, Susanne Bier, Tangled, Terminator Salvation, The Fighter, The Gruffalo, The Hurt Locker, The King's Speech, The Lost Thing, The Social Network, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Wolfman, Tim Burton, Timothy Hutton, Toy Story 3, Trent Reznor, Wally Pfister, Winter’s Bone, Zachary Levi
Picking Winners at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards
Posted by Jared Mobarak on February 3, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Spree contributing writer William Altreuter, graphic designer Jared Mobarak, and I are going to share our thoughts on this week’s Oscar nominations. Let’s kick things off with a category whose victor—Colin “Mr. Darcy” Firth—seems to have already been agreed upon. — Christopher Schobert Best Actor: Javier Bardem: Biutiful Jeff Bridges: True Grit Jesse Eisenberg: The […]
Category essays, oscars · Tags 127 Hours, A Room With a View, A Single Man, Aaron Eckhart, Aaron Sorkin, Al Pacino, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alice in Wonderland, Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Amanda Peet, American Beauty, Amy Adams, Andrew Garfield, Animal Kingdom, Anna Paquin, Anne Rosellini, Annette Benning, Annie Hall, Another Year, Armie Hammer, Ashton Kutcher, Atonement, Avatar, Barbara Hershey, Beautiful Girls, Before Night Falls, Being Julia, Ben Affleck, Bill Murray, Birgit Minichmayr, Black Swan, Blue Valentine, Brian Oliver, Brokeback Mountain, Carey Mulligan, Carlos, Casey Affleck, Cate Blanchett, Catherine Keener, Catwoman, Ceán Chaffin, Celine Rattray, Chariots of Fire, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chicago, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christian Bale, Christian Colson, Christopher Nolan, City of Your Final Destination, Coen Brothers, Colin Firth, Conviction, Crazy Heart, Dana Brunetti, Danny Boyle, Darla K. Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, David Cronenberg, David Fincher, David Hoberman, David O. Russell, Dead Ringers, Dianne Weist, Dieter Laser, District 9, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Ed Harris, Édgar Ramírez, Edgar Wright, Emile Sherman, Emma Thomas, Ethan Coen, Everyone Else, Fargo, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Forrest Gump, Frozen River, Gandhi, Gareth Unwin, Gary Gilbert, Geoffrey Rush, George Lucas, Get Low, Greenberg, Greta Gerwig, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Hailee Steinfeld, Halle Berry, Harvey Weinstein, Helena Bonham Carter, Hilary Swank, How to Train Your Dragon, Howard's End, I Am Love, I Love You Phillip Morris, I'm Still Here, Iain Canning, Inception, Jacki Weaver, James Franco, Jamie Foxx, Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy Renner, Jesse Eisenberg, Jim Broadbent, Jim Carrey, Jimmy Smits, Joaquin Phoenix, Joel Coen, John Hawkes, John Smithson, John Wayne, Julia, Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Justin Timberlake, Kick-Ass, Laura Linney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lesley Manville, Let Me In, Lois Smith, Lost in Translation, Macaulay Culkin, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo, Meryl Streep, Michael Cera, Michael De Luca, Michael Shannon, Michelle Williams, Mickey Rourke, Mike Medavoy, Mike Nichols, Mila Kunis, Milos Forman, Minnie Driver, Missing, Mother and Child, Naomi Watts, Natalie Portman, Never Let Me Go, Nicole Kidman, No Country for Old Men, No Strings Attached, Noomi Rapace, Olivia Williams, Ordinary People, Philadelphia, Pierce Brosnan, Please Give, Preston Sturges, Rabbit Hole, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ray, Rebecca Hall, Reversal of Fortune, Robert Duvall, Rushmore, Ryan Gosling, Sam Rockwell, Saving Private Ryan, Scent of a Woman, Scott Franklin, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Scott Rudin, Sean Penn, Shakespeare in Love, Shutter Island, Star Wars: A New Hope, Steven Soderbergh, Steven Spielberg, Stieg Larrson, Sullivan’s Travels, Tatum O'Neal, The American President, The Crying Game, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The English Patient, The Fighter, The Ghost Writer, The Goodbye Girl, The Green Mile, The Grifters, The Human Centipede (First Sequence), The Kids Are All Right, The Killer Inside Me, The King's Speech, The Lord of the Rings, The Piano, The Return of the King, The Runaways, The Sixth Sense, The Social Network, The Town, The Turning Point, The Verdict, The Way Back, Thor, Tilda Swinton, Tim Burton, Timothy Hutton, Todd Lieberman, Tom Hanks, Tom Hooper, Tootsie, Toy Story 3, Traffic, True Grit, Unforgiven, Up, Wendy and Lucy, Wings of the Dove, Winter’s Bone, X-Men: First Class
REVIEW: Sanctum [2011]
Posted by Jared Mobarak on February 1, 2011 · Leave a Comment
“Ah … that’s not a wizard” Who knew the best way to connect an emotionally estranged father and son was to trap them inside an unmapped cave with few materials, an abundance of frenzied spelunkers, and only the hope that the river rising to suffocate them will lead to the ocean and freedom? Inspired by […]
REVIEW: The Last Airbender [2010]
Posted by Jared Mobarak on July 1, 2010 · Leave a Comment
“You stand alone; that was always your weakness” Ok, The Happening was a piece of crap. There’s no denying this fact, so get on with your lives and forget Marky Mark ever attempted to be a science teacher. Many think that wasn’t M. Night Shyamalan’s first misstep, though, people have fallen away from his work […]
BNFF10 PREVIEW: The 4th Annual Buffalo Niagara Film Festival
Posted by Jared Mobarak on April 4, 2010 · 7 Comments
Year four is here for the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival taking place at both Dipson’s Market Arcade Centre downtown and the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda. I’ve attended the past two entries and have been impressed by the quality of films and improvements made. 2009 saw the world premiere of Steve Coogan and Hillary Duff’s […]
Category buffalo niagara film festival, film features, film festival · Tags Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer, Amy Pietz, Autism: Made in the U.S.A., Avatar, Boppin’ at the Glue Factory, Carmen Electra, Christina, Diora Baird, Hillary Duff, Hot Tamale, Jason Priestley, Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Jordan Belfi, Junkie Nurse, Lea Thompson, Mike Starr, Nicki Aycox, Randy Spelling, Stephen Lang, Steve Coogan, The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, The Cake Eaters, Wendie Malick, What Goes Up
REVIEW: How to Train Your Dragon [2010]
Posted by Jared Mobarak on March 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment
“The offspring of lightning and evil itself” I learned something new today—Scandinavian Vikings have Scottish accents. Well, at least the adults do, the brogue seems to have withered away in the next generation of dragon slayers. Yes, dragon slaying is the main occupation of these massive brutes, doing all they can to protect their island […]
The 82nd Oscars recap through tweets …
Posted by Jared Mobarak on March 8, 2010 · Leave a Comment
@jaredmobarak • NPH in sequins … i guess that’s something … The 82nd Annual Oscars ceremony begins, yet the hosts are nowhere to be found. Have we gotten to the point now where we need a lead-in for the most assuredly lame/very PC stand-up routine? We need to get the ball rolling for the ball […]
Category essays, oscars · Tags A Serious Man, Academy Awards, Alec Baldwin, Anna Kendrick, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Avatar, Barbra Streisand, Ben Stiller, Benicio Del Toro, Bright Star, Carey Mulligan, Cars, Channing Tatum, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz, Christopher Plummer, Colin Firth, Dan Aykroyd, Demi Moore, District 9, Ed Asner, Farrah Fawcett, Fisher Stevens, Geoffrey Fletcher, George Clooney, Golden Globes, Hugh Jackman, Inglourious Basterds, James Cameron, James Taylor, Jason Reitman, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Lopez, John Hughes, John Lasseter, John Stewart, John Travolta, Judd Nelson, Kathryn Bigelow, Keanu Reeves, Linda Hamilton, Logorama, Lost, Macaulay Culkin, Markéta Irglová, Matthew Broderick, Michael Giacchino, Michael Haneke, Michael Jackson, Mickey Rourke, Modern Family, Morgan Freeman, Mo’Nique, Music by Prudence, Neil Patrick Harris, Oprah Winfrey, Oscars, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Quentin Tarantino, Quincy Jones, Ricky Gervais, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Bingham, Sacha Baron Cohen, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Sandy Powell, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sean Penn, Sigourney Weaver, Star Trek, Steve Martin, Strange Days, Suzy Amis, T-Bone Burnett, The Blind Side, The Cove, The Hangover, The Hurt Locker, The Jerk, The Mask of Zorro, The Matrix, The New Tenants, The Secret in Their Eyes, The Temper Trap, The Wolfman, The Young Victoria, Tim Robbins, Tom Ford, Tom Hanks, Tyler Perry, Up, Up in the Air, West Bank Story, Zoë Saldana
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