Tag / timothy olyphant

by Jaime Rebanal

‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Review: A Love Letter to a Land of Dreams and Culture

✯✯✯✯½

When watching the films of Quentin Tarantino, there’s always that energy of wanting to show off his love of cinema on every frame but given the setting of his latest, it could either have been his most self-indulgent effort to date or maybe the love letter he’s been meaning to bring to the screen for a long while too. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, fittingly titled after Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time trilogy, is every bit a blast from the past of the final years of the 1960’s as one could ever expect Quentin Tarantino to make a film about Hollywood in the era to be, but it also might be the director’s most beautifully entertaining film to grace the screen since Inglourious Basterds. If anything else best sums up what makes Once Upon a Time in Hollywood such a delight to watch, you’ll find all of it speaking clearly from the first frame to the last: for it still remains intact with the eagerness on display out of love for the films that have formed everything we’ve loved seeing in Tarantino’s work too. Though I’ve always enjoyed Quentin Tarantino’s work as a whole, I haven’t loved his films as much as I used to as a teen who was getting into movies, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood reminded me why I’ve always been so captivated by the stories he’s brought to the screen.

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by Jaime Rebanal

The Crazies (2010) – Review

✯✯✯½

George A. Romero’s original The Crazies was never exactly one of his best works as a director even though it is still entertaining enough while it lasted, but it’s easy to see why it earned the status of a cult classic. In 2010, Breck Eisner came around to offer his own spin on the same story and the results that come out not only result in one of the best examples of a horror movie remake in recent years but one that also is a good film at that. Breck Eisner’s take on George A. Romero’s The Crazies is not only something better than it even has much right to be and quite amazingly, it’s actually a rather solid ride. It may not be a great film at that, but even the original is not a film I would view under such a light. Continue reading →

by Jaime Rebanal

Hitman – Review

✯✯

I don’t have any connection with the Hitman video games as I’ve never played them, but relatively low expectations ultimately set the tone for what I were to come out thinking of the film adaptation. But at its worst, there really was nothing particularly offensive to note (I’d only imagine that I can take greater offense if I had any connection with the games) other than just the sheer feeling of emptiness that ran all throughout. Unfortunately, there was also not very much good being left behind at the same time and instead, Hitman just leaves an empty aura all around – one that is soon to fade away from the memory after having viewed the film. I can assume fans of the games would take greater offense to what the film presents but I’m only left with somewhat of an indifferent reaction. Continue reading →