Blogcritics Author: Chris Beaumont

Movie Review: The Spirit (2008)

Chris Beaumont — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 06:55:17 EST

This must be what it is like to make comic panels move.
Here is a movie that I so very badly wanted to love. I love what Robert Rodriguez did with Sin City, not to mention what Zack Snyder did with 300. I felt fairly certain that Frank Miller could get something into similar territory when he stepped behind the camera for the first time by himself. No, I was not expecting The Spirit to be as good as Sin...

Box Office Update 1/2-1/4: Marley & Me Stays on Top to Open 2009 Campaign

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 15:34:47 EST

This week, just like the last one.
2009 got off to a pretty good start this past weekend with a chart that almost perfectly mirrors the lineup that closed out 2008. No new films entered wide release so there was little competition. What I find surprising is how well all of the returning films did. Across the board the films showed strongly compared to last week. Even the one film...

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 20:23:34 EST

Poetic, beautiful, and requires multiple viewings.
In 1921, F. Scott Fitzgerald published a short story called "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." It was a tale of a child born with the body of an old man. As the child grew up his body grew younger. In the story, Benjamin's father forced his young, er, old son to disguise himself, so as to appear younger and help avoid...

DVD Pick of the Week: Battlestar Galactica

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 14:50:45 EST

The new year starts off with some promising releases.
Welcome back! Well, to some of you, anyway. To the rest of you, glad you decided to stop by and I hope that this humble column helps you navigate the stacks of new releases each week. My goal is to point you toward titles of interest and warn you away from those films that seek to do nothing but leech away your time and give you nothing in...

Movie Review: Bedtime Stories

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 13:17:55 EST

Pleasant experience. Not terribly memorable, but enjoyable while it unfolded.
As Adam Sandler moves into his forties, it's becoming just a bit more difficult for him to continue playing the man-child characters that aided him in his rise to fame from Saturday Night Live through his film output in the 1990s. It appears that the days of Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and The Water Boy are behind him. Since the year 2000...

2008: The Year in DVDs

Chris Beaumont — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 14:15:06 EST

A bunch of DVDs that grabbed my attention in 2008.
Coming up with lists like these is always a difficult task. Well, at least it is for me. Every year, around this time, all manner of year end and recap lists appear. Some are good, some are bad, and some just don't make sense. Now, I would love to offer up a top ten DVD list for 2008, but I am, frankly, unable to do so. There are a couple of...

Movie Review: Doubt

Chris Beaumont — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 01:05:20 EST

A powerful film that will leave you with many questions.
The first time I saw the trailer for Doubt, I swore this was going to kick off a firestorm of controversy. Of course, I had no idea at the time that it was based on a stage play. I guess if there was going to be any outcry it would have happened then. Well, perhaps not, the Blindness protest didn't arrive until the film did. In any case, I was...

Movie Media: Thundercats, Wolverine, 9, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, I Love You Man, Watchmen, The Wrestler

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 2 Jan 2009 10:31:12 EST

Plenty of trailers, and a clever homemade one await you.
Welcome back to the Movie Media column, featuring trailers, posters, and clips for upcoming films. Some are nice and fresh and some aren't. However, they all have something in common: for better or worse, they all caught my attention. If there is a poster or trailer you think I should check out, be sure to let me know.This week's movie goodies...

News Bites: Benjamin Button Violence, Watchmen in Court, Inglourious Basterds, Bollywood's Back to the Future

Chris Beaumont — Fri, 2 Jan 2009 00:26:20 EST

Tarantino, Zemeckis, and Aishwarya Rai are in the news.
As I always try to look for some new way to expand my offerings, I have decided to keep an eye out across the world of entertainment news and try my hand at news reporting/commentary on stories that catch my eye. Obviously, I cannot cover everything. What I will do is catch whatever I can as I can and hope that it delivers something new to...

Music Media: Nitro, Lamb of God, Europe, Biohazard, Nemesea, Papa Roach, Sarah Palin and MIA

Chris Beaumont — Thu, 1 Jan 2009 20:13:05 EST

A decent selection to close out 2008.
The journey into music videos (and other bits) continues its mission to deliver something worthy of your time, perhaps introducing you to something new along the way.This week I continue compiling videos and various musical related tid-bits for your viewing pleasure. Some will be brand spanking new, while others will just be things I like. I am not...