The Social Network

	The Social Network (2010) Director: David Fincher Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake Running Time: 2 hrs. 1 min Rated: PG-13

Review by Brother Reed

Mark Zuckerberg is an a**hole. At least that’s what his girlfriend tells him when she breaks up with him in The Social Network, a compelling new drama from director David Fincher. Though I suppose girlfriends are likely to say such things following a break-up.

He’s not, really.

Now, at this point you may be asking what I mean. He’s not really an a**hole? Or he’s not really Mark Zuckerberg? If so, you’ve tapped into one of the major devices screenwriter Aaron Sorkin uses for the dialog in this film. Characters are constantly responding to statements in a conversation where the other character has already moved on. I guess it’d be ex-girlfriends, actually; and, both.

 

Red

	Red (2010) Director: Robert Schwentke Starring: Bruce Willis, Mary Louise-Parker, Morgan Freeman Running Time: 1 hr, 51 min Rated: PG-13

Review by Brother Reed

Remember a few years back in Live Free or Die Hard when Bruce Willis was old? Well in Red he’s still old, and this time so are all his friends. If you think that sounds depressing, you could hardly be more wrong. It’s like if the gang of retirees who occasionally meet for breakfast at Hardee’s had at one point been highly-trained government operatives and are just biding their time until something exciting comes along. The over-the-hill cast of this over-the-top thrill ride are quite obviously having a blast, and their contagious energy is what makes the movie so much fun. Red is a movie that you can’t take seriously because you were never meant to. You were meant to laugh at one-liners and cheer when the good guys win.

 

Horror-Thon 2010

Frankenstein | Bride of Frankenstein | The Wicker Man | Children of the Corn | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | Deep Red | Orphan | The Vanishing | An American Werewolf in London | The Return of the Living Dead | The Innocents | Dead Alive | In the Mouth of Madness | The Blair Witch Project | Audition | Session 9 | Let the Right One In | The Verdict

“Last week I sawr a film. As I recall it was a horror film.”

 

Dinner for Schmucks

	Dinner for Schmucks (2010) Director: Jay Roach Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Jemaine Clement Running Time: 1 hr, 54 min Rated: PG-13

Review by Brother Reed

If you laughed at the trailer for Dinner for Schmucks, you’re probably a fan of Steve Carell. And who isn’t? The man is one of the most gifted comedians working in film or television today. The American version of The Office, a fixture of TV these days, got off the ground almost entirely due to his involvement. He’s given a boost to other comedy bigwigs like Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, and Judd Apatow. You know you can expect a completely committed (not to mention totally bonkers) performance from him every time. The good news about his new starring vehicle, Dinner for Schmucks, is that Carell delivers on those expectations once again. The bad news is that the movie is much less consistent. In fact, it’s downright bipolar. I can’t remember the last time I sat in a theater going from chuckles to sighs and frowns so quickly or so often.

 

The Wolfman (2010)

	The Wolfman (2010) Director: Joe Johnston Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt Running Time: 1 hr, 59 min (Director’s Cut) Rated: R (Unrated)

 

Review by Brother Reed

Hollywood cries “wolf.” I cry “remake.” Audiences just cry.

 

The Hurt Locker

	The Hurt Locker (2008) Director: Kathryn Bigelow Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty Running Time: 2 hrs, 11 min Rated: R

Review by Brother Reed

“War is a drug.” That pull quote from journalist Chris Hedges sets the tone for The Hurt Locker, a supremely suspenseful war thriller set just a few years ago during the Iraq conflict. It’s a sentiment that takes a moment to settle – one usually hears the more familiar “War is hell.” In truth, both statements are illustrated to some extent in this movie; but the former may be the more unsettling. We often imagine soldiers as men and women who carry out their tasks with bravery and skill but who ultimately wish only to return to their families and remove themselves from the constant danger they experience on foreign war grounds. While there are plenty of career military personnel who rise through the ranks, we start to worry about a field operative who enjoys his job a little too much.