MOVIE REVIEW: Tracks

In 1977, a single woman named Robyn Davidson, along with her dog and four camels, decided to trek on foot across that barren desert landscape from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean. The route was over 1,700 miles and would be about the equivalent of walking from Omaha, Nebraska to the Pacific Ocean. In this country, that's a matter of following a few highways and crossing all sorts of populated areas. In Australia, that journey is unmarked, dangerous, isolated, and devoid of almost any human help or settlement.

ADVANCE MOVIE REVIEW: Miss Julie

Two-time Academy Award-nominee Liv Ullmann brought her new film, “Miss Julie,” to serve as the opening night film of the 50th Chicago International Film Festival on Thursday, October 9th. “Miss Julie” is based on the 1888 August Strindberg play of the same name and stars two-time Oscar nominee and rising star Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”), Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell (“In Bruges”), and fellow two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (“Minority Report”). Both Ullmann and Farrell attended the Opening Night Gala in Chicago.

MOVIE REVIEW: Gone Girl

For the faithful readers of Gillian Flynn's 2012 bestseller of the same name, you will know the twists and turns that are coming. To the uninformed, "Gone Girl" was grab you hook, line, and sinker into a potently swirling world of ominous fear, mystery, and relationship quandaries. What follows, is promised to be SPOILER-FREE.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Skeleton Twins

Thanks to their outstanding careers on "Saturday Night Live," Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are completely recognized, celebrated, and even typecast as total comedic performers. We've never seen them do real drama until "The Skeleton Twins." The success of your like or dislike of the film will come from your desire to either want more comedy or not believe the drama.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Equalizer

Denzel Washington's recent releases of "The Book of Eli," "Unstoppable," "Safe House," "Flight," and "2 Guns" have been some of the best financial earners of his career. He hasn't had a film open under $20 million since 2003. His age may have increased, but audiences still count on and flock to Denzel being the razor edge of intensity and initiative he's always been. His latest film is no different and it reunites Denzel with his "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua. "The Equalizer" is a film remake of a CBS TV show that ran for four seasons from 1985 to 1989.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Zero Theorem

All of this plot in "The Zero Theorem" operates in the wholly imaginative and tremendously trippy world that we expect from Terry Gilliam, which is just as it should be, in a way. I wasn't expecting anything less than his previous surreal creations. It's got that quirk going for it, but it's not used efficiently, outside of the fact that the film kept its dreary magic carpet ride at under two hours.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Drop

It is of great surprise that, for me, all I kept thinking about during "The Drop" was Michael Madsen's response-begging question from Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" as Mr. Blonde: "Are you going to bark all day or are you going to bite?" For too much of "The Drop," a seemingly record number of bushes are being beaten around. Don't get me wrong. A dialogue-driven and slow-boiling premise can work and has worked, worlds over, but it has to deliver at some point. "The Drop" does have a sly ending in mind and at play, but it doesn't match or make up for the tedious lead-up. Considering the talent involved, I expected more.

GUEST CRITIC: The Prince and Me (10th Anniversary)

Today's guest critic is here to review what, in some circles, is considered a recently modern romantic classic. She is here to charm your heart with her youthful yet insightful take on a film that turns 10 years old this year. Meet Becca and her review of 2004's "The Prince and Me" from director Martha Coolidge and starring Julia Stiles and the dreamy long-lost Luke Mably.

MOVIE REVIEW: The One I Love

“The One I Love” is a thinking film that skews much closer to the romantic comedy vein of its trailer, but offers just enough icy and sobering implications to get that hamster wheel moving in your head that will nudge you ever so slightly to the edge of your seat. You won’t be gripping your arm rest or partner’s hand in tension. Rather, you’ll be retreating to crossed arms of curiosity and chin-rubbing intrigue and attention. Clever smiles outnumber dropped jaws.

MOVIE REVIEW: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

After taking in "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," the second collaboration between legendary graphic novel creator Frank Miller and virtuoso technical filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, I feel like coining a new term. "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" is a "genre-buster," meaning that it is a film that pushes far beyond the boundaries of its generally assigned category. In my opinion, to be a genre-buster, you have to break the confinements of at least three genres. Two isn't enough. Two is an "action comedy," "romantic fantasy," or etc. and those are plain as day and too easy. You've got to mix three and do it well.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Expendables 3

I can’t get away with the same review re-write gag for “The Expendables 3” that I did for “The Expendables 2.” I know it’s a stretch to say this, but Stallone went back to the drawing board, even if it’s an Etch-A-Sketch, to actually formulate *GASP* the semblance of an actual plot. It’s not a pretty one, but the third film, for the most part, departs from the hearty rerun missions of the first two films.

REVIEW RE-RUN: The Expendables 2

HUMOROUS DISCLAIMER: I had pretty overwhelming feeling going in that The Expendables 2 was going to be a carbon copy of the first movie from 2010, only bigger, louder, busier, and very few minor differences of note. Well, I was right. While redundant enough to come across as Xerox as The Hangover Part II was to The Hangover with just a change of setting, this doesn't make The Expendables 2 any less awesome. To have a little fun and prove this point, I have copied my EXACT 2010 review of The Expendables word-for-word below (follow the link and see) and added strike-through edits and red text additions of those very minor differences. Enjoy!

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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