MadMania

Faith, Books, and Stuff

Tag: reviews

Review: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

It was Heath Ledger’s last film (he died during filming), and it was directed by Terry Gilliam (Monty Python’s Flying Circus, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Brothers Grimm). It also stars Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Christopher Plummer. I realized going in that Terry Gilliam films are guaranteed to be weird, that […]

Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox (movie)

I really can’t say enough good things about this movie. I love the story, direction, music, animation, and acting. I went into this movie with no preconceived notions (I barely knew a thing about it, not even that it was based on a Roald Dahl book), and it was awesome. George Clooney is hilarious as […]

Review: Ladyhawke

Heather and I both remember loving this movie, and we rented so we could watch it with the girls. It was not the best around. The movie was directed by Richard Donner (Superman, The Goonies), so I was expecting better. Matthew Broderick is the only great part about the movie: he is totally natural and […]

Review: Alice in Wonderland (movie)

The new Alice in Wonderland movie is not terrible, but it is not that great either. The basic premise is that 13 years after her original adventures, as recorded by Lewis Carroll, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and returns to Wonderland, finding it a much darker place, and must fight to save it from […]

Review: Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Unfortunately, yes. Heather and I went out on a date Saturday afternoon and saw the aforementioned romcom. It was not that great. The premise is that native New Yorkers Paul and Meryl Morgan (Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker) are a couple that have been separated for three months. Paul is trying to make up […]

Review: Julie & Julia

I just finished staying up with Heather watching Julie & Julia, a 2009 movie about two women: Julie Powell, as she spends a year cooking her way through all the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking while living in post-9/11 New York with her husband. It also tells the story of Julia […]

Review: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Fifteen minutes into the midnight showing of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra the film burned and broke. That was my favorite part of the movie. No, I’m not kidding. If I hadn’t been there with my children and students I would have walked out shortly after they got it back up and running. I […]

Bustin’ makes me feel good

If you were a big fat huge fan of the original Ghostbusters movie (and, mayhaps, the Real Ghostbusters cartoon), then you will flippin’ love the new Ghostbusters video game. I received the X-Box 360 version as a belated Father’s Day gift, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it (not entirely true–I have enjoyed it to the extent […]