Quick & Stale DVD Reviews

3:10 to Yuma
I love westerns, and have been dying for something new so this may not be the most balanced review. What we have here is a remake of a mid-50s classic, that was a pretty unique western for its time. Crowe does a good job of working the charming villain angle – making the audience relax just enough to lose its cool. Bale does a nice slow burn, and I think he does vulnerable quite well. A couple of small quips. Ben Foster’s characters was at times frightening, but veered into ‘over the top’ territory at times. The back and forth of the Bale/Crowe relationship was a bit much and tough to swallow at times. All in all a solid outing, and it’s great to see a new western. Grade: B+

The Simpsons Movie
Hi – long time viewer, first time reviewer. I’ve been a huge fan of the Simpsons since Day One (okay – maybe Day Two) and have always found something to like even in the weakest episodes. The film could not have disappointed me more (I actually had low expectations initially, but read so many decent reviews that I had some hope). I was as if they took a very lame 30 minute show and stretched it into a full length film. Too much plot – way too much plot. The laughs were few and far between and the sight gags and clever one-liners were noticeably absent. I would buy into a sequel, only if it features the return of either Lyle Lanley or John Waters. Grade: C

Waitress
What a wonderful movie. Who would have thought that I’d but into some movie about a pie-making Felicity dealing with a surprise pregnancy? Everyone involved in this film, from top to bottom, obviously bought into Adrienne Shelley’s vision. The back and forth between Russell and Captain Mal was great – some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen in ages. It’s hard to watch this film in a vacuum and not be impacted by Shelley’s murder, but if you ever really need a movie to tell you to stop complaining and appreciate all that you have – this might be a good choice. Grade: A-

Battlestar Galactica: Season One
Yup – I know the bandwagon is long gone, but I’m chasing after it. This is the shit. My wife was very skeptical when I brought this home from our local video store – but she was sold on it in a hurry. The casting is superb and the cinematography infuses everything with a intense claustrophobia. Frackin’ brilliant. Grade: A