Category Archives: Film Reviews

Film reviews and analyses. Most recently published is in front.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Guardians of the Galaxy resembles one of those cloth dolls stitched together by someone who has the necessary pieces and a general idea of how to put them together. The result is something fun that fulfills its function, but upon … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Jaws Revisited

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Mark DuPré

It only made sense when doing a large extended-family vacation on Cape Cod, after spending an afternoon on the beach, to take another look at Jaws. The first time around, the film got lost in the phenomenon. It’s heralded as … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Older Films | Leave a comment

Two Films from 1942

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Holiday Inn As part of my general research on musicals, I wanted a complete look at a couple of films of what I’d only seen bits and pieces. Both were released in 1942. Both were packed with star power, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Older Films | Leave a comment

Jersey Boys

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Mark DuPré

What a fascinating, enjoyable mess of a film! The saving grace of the film, of course, is that glorious music (“Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man”), with a nearly irresistible hook of the classic rags-to-riches-and-off-to-who-knows-where story, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Leave a comment

The Monuments Men

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Mark DuPré

I hesitated to write about this film, but have recently noticed that it is at the top of the rental charts. If a number of people are going to see it, a review seems necessary. The Monuments Men is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Leave a comment

The Fault in Our Stars

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Mark DuPré

The Fault in Our Stars is a meticulously photographed and acted film containing some of the best acting you’ll likely see all year. It’s also a Young Adult tearjerker, and if that genre is not one of the viewer’s favorites, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | 1 Comment

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Mark DuPré

It’s nearly impossible to pry this film from its many contexts to just judge on its own merits as a film. Is there a context that exists for this film to be viewed “objectively”? I think not. It’s number 7 … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Full disclosure: I live just outside of Rochester, New York, where several of the sequences for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were filmed. So the film has achieved a status here far larger than the run-of-the-mill superhero sequel-to-the-reboot. While it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Mark DuPré

No, it’s not better than The Avengers, but it’s certainly a step above and a step to the side from other superhero films. CAWS brings back the dark days of the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970’s complete with Robert … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Noah

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Mark DuPré

What a fascinating mess Noah is. It’s beautiful to look at, epic in scope, has solid and committed acting, and is, in far too many ways, completely ridiculous. Anyone expecting any real fidelity to the Biblical story of Noah will … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment