Movie Review: Night of the Iguana (1964)

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Brian Wright

Tennessee Williams’ finest? ___ 10/10
Review by Brian Wright

Hannah Jelkes: Who wouldn’t like to atone for the sins of themselves, and the world, if it could be done in a hammock with ropes, instead of on a Cross, with nails? On a green hilltop, instead of Golgotha, the Place of the Skulls? Isn’t that a comparatively comfortable, almost voluptuous Crucifixion to suffer for the sins of the world, Mr. Shannon?

Hannah Jelkes: Nothing human disgusts me, Mr. Shannon, unless it’s unkind or violent. Continue reading →

Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Brian Wright

Family fare with a Waltonian pickmeup _ 8/10
Review by Brian Wright

Benjamin Mee: You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

Lily Miska: [to Kelly during the opening of the zoo] If you had to choose between people and animals, who would you pick?
[Kelly doesn’t answer]
Lily Miska: Me, too. People! Continue reading →

Movie Review: Libertopia

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Brian Wright

On the road to the Free State ___ 8.5/10
Liberty as compassion
Review by Brian Wright

Matt Simon: The thing about being an individualist, and acting as an individual in a free society is that people have an interest in cooperating with one another, without any force whatsoever. It’s one of the constants of human experience: any time there’s a problem or a threat to the community, individuals band together, they cooperate for the greater good. They do it all the time.

But where we bristle is when we’re forced to cooperate, where somebody else’s good idea is so important that it needs to be paid for with the money that each of us works hard to earn. And when you go into ideas that are just morally objectionable, like, oh, invading and occupying a sovereign nation [based on lies–ed], or waging drug prohibition, we very much resent that our money is spent to propagate those policies. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Parenthood (1989)

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Brian Wright

The red pill (harsh reality) version __ 7.5/10
Review by Brian Wright

Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen,
Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Wonderful World (2009)

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Brian Wright

Way undervalued film of way undervalued lives ___ 10/10
Review by Brian Wright

The Man: How much of your life is your fault, and how much is the world’s? That is your big question. You have no career, you’ve been fired from your job, your own daughter won’t speak to you. Bottom line, you can’t even earn a living.
Singer: That’s what it’s all about for you, isn’t it? Money.
The Man: Let’s leave money out of the equation, what would you like it to be all about? Continue reading →

Movie Review: Moneyball (2011)

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Brian Wright

Gentle, confident tribute to the game ___ 8/10
Review by Brian Wright

Peter Brand: Billy, this is Chad Bradford. He’s a relief pitcher. He is one of the most undervalued players in baseball. His defect is that he throws funny. Nobody in the big leagues cares about him because he looks funny. This guy could be not just the best pitcher in our bullpen, but one of the most effective relief pitchers in all of baseball. This guy should cost $3 million a year. We can get him for $237,000. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Drive (2011)

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Brian Wright

Cross between Bullitt and Sin City ___ 9/10
Review by Brian Wright

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Screenplay by Hossein Amini
Book by James Sallis

Driver: [on the phone] There’s a hundred-thousand streets in this city. You don’t need to know the route. You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you’re on your own. Do you understand? [pause]
Driver: Good. And you won’t be able to reach me on this phone again. Continue reading →