Thanks again for reading my silly blog. Right now I'm working a lot on my upcoming books ORGANIZING CLASSICS and ORGANIZING CRIME Second Edition. They will premiere at BoucherCon 2011 if all goes right. Yet there are three additional movies opening today I didn't have time to write full reviews. Here's some mini-reviews and additional stuff.
30 Minutes or Less
This is such an odd film. I was worried that I went to too early of a screening because it felt like it wasn't done with its editing. Yet the running time is the same... The cast is likable and the premise is amusing--even though it's apparently based off a real life tragedy. There are just too many things off about its timing, its stakes, and its world. It's a forgettable misstep with a few solid laughs.
Beats, Rhymes and Life
I am not a hip person so I never heard of A Tribe Called Quest. This documentary covers the four men who became a sensation in the 90s and then fizzled out due to internal conflicts. The film did a great job capturing the times and letting all of its subjects speak candidly. I loved seeing how the cool thing was to wear a bright colored jacket in a music video to the rich thug lifestyle as seen now in rap. I wish there was more music, since I wasn't the most familiar. Worth seeing.
Sarah's Key
Not every Holocaust film is going to be good. This one has a lot of good moments, surrounded by a lot of bloated ones. There is no surprise to where the story is going, which seems essential since there is someone obsessed about finding out what happens next. Far too many coincidences with the mystery and over-directing becomes a big problem in too many moments. The whole thing falls flat.
You can see Chris Lloyd and I argue about Sarah's Key in a commentary for The Film Yap. I was called a new insult during it!
I was thrilled to be able to write an article for Mystery Scene. I have a featured article on their website talking about the five best foreign thriller films. Add them all to your queue!
Finally, I can say I shall be on a panel at BoucherCon this year. Last Magna I created a game show where a panel of judges determines who is the Greatest Detective. I'm bringing it to St. Louis with an incredible panel of JoAnna Carl, Terence Faherty, Lauren Henderson, Harry Hunsicker and Simon Wood. I'm excited!
Once again, thank you everyone for reading my silly thoughts. There are plenty more on the way.
--Austin
I was hoping that 30 Minutes or Less would be the next Old School or Anchorman :(
ReplyDeleteI'll read the foreign thriller article as I do love me the thriller genre!