Readers’ Recommendations: “Spirited Away”

spirited_awayHey everyone, it’s Friday, time for another entry in the Reader Recommendations series!

The Reader Recommendation series is intended to help me formally pursue all the great films that commenters bring up each week in discussion which I’ve never seen. If there’s a movie that comes up that I haven’t seen, but you think I should, email me @ fogsmoviereviews@gmail.com or let me know in the comments that you’d like to participate!
 
BruceThis time up, our recommendation comes from old friend and FMR commenter Bruce Hewes, who’s recommended Hayao Miyazaki’s ”Spirited Away”. I’ve loved all the Miyazaki movies I’ve seen so far, so I’m excited to check out another one!
 
Click through to see what we had to say!
 
About these ads

The Great Debates: Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Trek Vs Star Wars

.

Undeniably these two franchises are the biggest sci-fi franchises in pop culture history. Both heavily involve space travel and sci-fi concepts, and the fact that the both have the word “Star” in their names invited comparisons right from the beginning. This is truly a debate that’s been around for decades, and with the opening of a new chapter in one of the sagas this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to revisit it.

Click through to read the tale of the tape!!

Continue reading »

Tossin’ It Out There: Recommend a Movie to Everyone!

b^marqueeHey everyone. Today’s Tossin’ It Out there is one I’ve been sitting on for a while, as I figure it’s something that people love to do, especially people who read or write about movies on the net!

Everyone loves recommending good movies to others, whether it’s some enormous summer tent pole movie that they happen to see before everyone else, or an indie gem that they’ve dug up that no one else has even heard of! It’s the most common form of movie discussion, I think… the “Ohhh, you’ve got to see it!”

It’s not necessarily to me, just to anyone in general. Many other people read through the comments every week, what movie would you recommend to them? Or to someone you just met? What film do you feel strongly enough to promote, or… is there a movie you’d like to get more people to see?

So what movie will you recommend? Something you like that everyone else has unfairly overlooked? Something foreign that you think is worth people’s time to track down? Maybe something classic – a movie that time forgot!

Whatever it is, let’s hear it! What movie would YOU recommend?

.

NOTE: For this thread, it’s ok if you’d like to link to a review you’ve done, I can understand that, and it fits well here with the discussion. So it’s ok, here! But please, outside of threads where I expressly clear it, remember, posting links to your own stuff without permission is… gauche. ;)

Readers’ Recommendations: “Ghost in the Shell”

ghost-poster-835357967Hey everyone, it’s Friday, time for another entry in the Reader Recommendations series!

The Reader Recommendation series is intended to help me formally pursue all the great films that commenters bring up each week in discussion which I’ve never seen. If there’s a movie that comes up that I haven’t seen, but you think I should, email me @ fogsmoviereviews@gmail.com or let me know in the comments that you’d like to participate!
 
ErikThis time up, our recommendation comes from Erik Sebok of Erik’s Movie 140, who’s recommended “Ghost in the Shell”. Along with “Akira”, “Ghost in the Shell” is one of those anime titles that you can’t escape hearing about, so I’m excited to finally check it out!
 
Click through to see what we had to say!
 

Now Showing on Cable: “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”

Salmon-Fishing-in-the-Yemen-poster

Making its debut this weekend on Showtime was last year’s “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”, starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt.

“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” tells the story of two people involved in trying to introduce salmon to the Yemen River, at the behest of a wealthy Sheikh in the region. McGregor plays a an expert who initially decries the effort as unfeasible, but who slowly comes around to the possibility. He and Blunt have to work through the difficulties of both the project and their romantic lives.

It’s a lightweight little movie that won’t ask much of you over its runtime, but its optimism, combined with the charm of the leads, make it an enjoyable watch.

Continue reading »

Tossin’ It Out There: Who’s YOUR Favorite Movie Comedian?

ComediansI have comedy on the brain somehow, today, and so I thought today we should turn our discussion towards movie comedians (or comediennes).

Who’s YOUR favorite? Do you lean towards the classics? Is it a duo or a troupe? Someone current like Will Ferrell or Zach Galifianakis? Or someone classic like Laurel and Hardy? Can we get some love for Peter Sellers today? Or will the usual suspects like Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy rise to the top? Will we get any female comics breaking through? How about the immortal Madeline Kahn? Or maybe Melissa McCarthy, who is currently atop the comedic movie world?

Everyone has a film star or two that really crack them up consistently, who’s YOURS?

Let’s hear it! Who’s YOUR Favorite Comedian?

Daniel Fogarty

Movies That Everyone Should See: “Planet of the Apes”

apes_by_kurtmandersen-d4yzutb

Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.

Continue reading »

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

The third installments of superhero franchises are known for being let downs, and “Iron Man 3″ will do little to dispel that reputation.

I don’t mind shallow if a movie compensates with spectacle. The action here, though, wasn’t enough to save the day. I found “Iron Man 3″ to be at times silly, misguided, dull, and disappointing. It’s still a big budget summer superhero movie, and as such, carries an inherent entertainment value. But anything else above and beyond is squandered, sadly.

Continue reading »