Movie Review: Romance & Cigarettes

Romance & Cigarettes
Directed by John Turturro
Starring James Gandolfini, Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Mandy Moore, and Steve Buscemi
Rated R

Romance & Cigarettes boasts a cast that anyone in their right mind would drool over. James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Mandy Moore, Aida Turturro, Mary-Louise Parker, Christopher Walken, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, Bobby Cannavale, and Elaine Stritch. I would pay to see any one of these fine actors just read out of the phone book...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Movie Review: Enchanted

Enchanted (2007)
Directed by Kevin Lima
Starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon
Songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
Music by Alan Menken
Rated PG
Walt Disney Pictures

Enchanted serves up all things classic Disney: a storybook fairy tale about a naive young girl, her helpful forest friends, the brave young prince that comes to find her, and an evil witch turned crone who's out to get her. There's singing, and magic, and falling in love. And it's rendered in 2D hand-drawn animation ... for the first 10 minutes or so.

In the fairy tale land of Andalasia, helpful forest creatures gather around the beautiful young Giselle, who sings her days away awaiting the arrival of her one true love. One day, while battling a troll, the brave and handsome Prince Edward hears the sound of a beautiful singing voice, which leads him to Giselle's home. The two fall instantly in love and plan to marry the following day. When bride-to-be Giselle arrives at the castle the next day, she's stopped by the prince's wicked stepmother Queen Narissa, disguised as an old hag. Giselle naively follows the hag, who leads her to then pushes her down a magic well to a place where there are no "happily ever afters."...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Movie Review: In the Valley of Elah

Every so often, a movie earns the title of "Film." In the Valley of Elah is that film. Powerful and touching writing, exceptional acting, particular visuals, and marvelous direction make In the Valley of Elah a film of timeless quality.

Retired Sergeant Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) gets a phone call saying his son is absent without leave. Unable to accept that his son would abandon his duties as a soldier, he leaves his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon), and he drives to his son’s base to investigate his son’s disappearance. When he doesn’t get the response he wants from the military police, he sets off to contact the civilians. The civilians aren’t any more helpful. They tell him that he must contact the army police because they are in charge of their people, they wouldn’t investigate his disappearance. A jurisdictional nightmare, the only people who seem actively investigating the case is Hank Deerfield and Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) follows behind in tow. The investigation is a fight with the army, a troubling examination of willful incompetence and tragic truths...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!

Movie Review: Mr. Woodcock

Well, I am known for my meat. -- Jasper Woodcock in Mr. Woodcock

6th grade. Third period gym. Coach Stange.

Everybody knew all you had to do was show up and dress for class and you’d get an easy A; so that I did. Yet at the end of the first semester I had to explain to my folks why I got a C- in gym class. I argued over and over that Coach Stange flat out hated my guts. Mom even went so far as to call the school to find out. Why the low grade for a whole semester? According to him, it was because I forgot my gym clothes one time and I needed to be taught some discipline. It took her until the next year of seeing A’s in gym for her to finally believe me that he did actually hate me. I didn’t let my distaste for him ruin or guide my life, but God, I hated that guy. Mr. Woodcock tells a similar, albeit slightly more colorful version of that same story...continue reading this review at Geeks of Doom!