  |
|
 |
  |
 |
|
Paramount's
‘Sweeney Todd’— Musical Darkness With Pie
by Cochaman Peef
As
usual, Johnny Depp (Barker) is brilliant as the main character,
wearing more expressions on his powder-pale face than any other
man could possibly muster. He is darling as a charming husband
and father, then equally as effective as a violent monster. Alan
Rickman is also notably good as his rival, Judge Turpin.
Rounding out the main cast is the always-convincingly-creepy
Helena Bonham Carter...
 |
|
|
Sony's
‘Across The Universe’— Phenomenally Sumptuous
by
Beth E. Cochran
Though
the music is oh so familiar— 33 Beatles songs— and the story is about as
politically motivated as it gets, Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe
gives us some of the most phenomenally sumptuous visuals and
unabashed romanticism ever seen on film, and that’s enough. A
story of 60s revolution and romance set to the tune of songs
that defined the entire era, Across the Universe is brilliant if
only for...
|
|
|
Paramount's
‘No Country For Old
Men’:
Powerfully Riveting
by
Beth E. Cochran
The
film opens with a shot of desolate, wide-open country in West Texas
in June of 1980. In a voice over, the local sheriff, Ed Tom Bell
(Tommy Lee Jones), tells of the changing times: In the old days,
some sheriffs never wore guns, as did his late father, who was
the sheriff before him; in the modern day and age, however...
|
|
|
Dreamworks' ‘Death Proof’—
Bad-Ass Chicks Kick Ass
by Cochaman Peef
Prescription:
take a massive dose of some gritty sub cultural reality and shove it
straight up your ass... sideways. Death Proof is the second of two films
that are all a part of Grindhouse: Tarantino and Rodriguez' brainchild of
a throwback to the exploitation films of the early to late 70's.
Grindhouses were popular in the 70's as a very seedy type of theater (very
often outdoors) in a less than...
|
|
|
Dreamworks' ‘Transformers’ Stays True To It's Die-Hard
Fans
by Cochaman Peef
It's safe to say, the cartoons of today are no
where near as cool as the ones that were on when I was growing up (don't
ask when, just go with it). We had shows like Robotech, Thundercats,
Starblazers, Visionaries, X-Men, Spiderman, and Batman: The Animated
Series. But looking back at that time...
|
|
|
LG's The Dresden Files: What a Wiz
by
Nadine Meeker
There is nothing like a fictional
private detective who narrates like Mikey Spillane with a sensitive side
and totes a mystical hockey stick to get us all going here at UPBEAT.
Here’s the thing.... we all tend to think of ourselves as hip and mondo
cool when it comes to the world of geekery...
|
|
|
CBS'
‘Jericho’ A Knock-Out First Season DVD
by Beth E. Cochran
In
1987 then indie rock band R.E.M. released the haunting track “Its The
End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), which stated boldly that
the world would end with “an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane”.
Other visions of the end of times have been greatly detailed in
films (Terminator, The Matrix, etc…) and...
|
|
|
WB's 300:
Worthy Beyond Epic Proportions
by
Christina
Gosnell
If you're like me, any film that involves a profound
struggle, a gripping battle and a virtually unknown cast worthy
of A-list status is a film I will not only purchase for my DVD
collection; but one that I will relish and watch over and over
again. The graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the
screen with the blood...
|
|
|
Cagney & Lacey: Season One
by
Nadine Meeker
For years I've watched as 1980's TV
classics made their way onto DVD— Miami Vice, Magnum P.I. and Hart to Hart
to name but a few. Don't get me wrong. People loved those shows, but I always
liked more intellectual/character study dramas myself. My favorite was
Cagney and Lacey. Each Monday night, I tuned in to see the New York 14th
precinct detective duo of Christine Cagney (Sharon Gless) and Mary Beth
Lacey (Tyne Daly) fight crime. Truth be told, C&L is still my
favorite TV drama after 25 years…and now it's finally made its
way to DVD thanks...
|
|
 |
  |
|
Column
Frequency: Weekly
|
|
Home | UPBEAT Staff
| Contact
Us | Submit Content
Copyright
©2008 UPBEAT Entertainment News Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|