The macabre story of “Stoker” – concerning a young woman whose creepy, murderous uncle causes trouble when he moves in with her and her widowed mother – makes for a sensational tale of violent family dysfunction, but it’s actually the weakest aspect of the film. The script, by “Prison Break” star Wentworth Miller, takes inspiration [...]
On this week’s Excess Hollywood, Alex Lamb and Landon McDonald discuss the films released over spring break, including Olympus Has Fallen“, “Stoker” and “Spring Breakers“. And in honor of March Madness, they talk about the greatness of “Space Jam” and several other basketball movies.
Before spring break, we had a vote in one of my classes on the best basketball film. It was no contest – “Space Jam” won by a landslide. Do we really think this goofy kids’ movie is the defining basketball flick? Deep down, if we’re being honest with ourselves, the answer is no. But it’s [...]
The exhaustive and comprehensive documentary “West of Memphis” chronicles the case of the West Memphis Three (WM3), in which three teenagers were wrongfully convicted of an atrocious crime they did not commit. As both a document of sustained injustice and a complex, investigative murder mystery, it’s an extremely compelling film. In May 1993, three 8-year-old [...]
This week on Excess Hollywood, Alex Lamb and Landon McDonald talk road movies in honor of spring break and also discuss the excellent documentary “West of Memphis.” Road trip/vacation/spring break film playlist: Piranha 3D It Happened One Night Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Y Tu Mama Tambien Fear and Loathing The Shining [...]
This week on Excess Hollywood, Alex Lamb talks about the True/False Film Festival and the documentaries he saw, while Landon McDonald discusses Oz the Great and Powerful, Snitch and Side by Side. Films from True/False Film Festival: No Stories We Tell The Crash Reel Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? After Tiller Twenty Feet [...]
Actress Sarah Wright stars as love interest Nicole in the raucous college comedy “21 and Over,” helping out party boys Miller (Miles Teller) and Casey (Skylar Astin) as they wildly celebrate the 21st birthday of their friend Jeff Chang (Justin Chon). Here, Wright explains improvising with the guys, playing party games and the travel experiences [...]
The most surprising element of “21 and Over” has nothing to do with all the ridiculous drunken shenanigans and misadventures of three buddies after a celebratory night of binge drinking. Instead, the real surprise in this college comedy is that it actually features meaningful character relationships and explores poignant themes of friendship. Who woulda thought? [...]
“Bless Me, Ultima” is one of those novels that has so much literary acclaim (and controversy) that you’ve probably heard about it in an English class at some point. In fact, it’s arguably the most highly regarded piece of literature written by a Mexican-American. But for some strange reason, the film adaptation of this widely [...]
This week on Excess Hollywood, film critics Alex Lamb and Landon McDonald talk about the upcoming Kansas Silent Film Festival, the True/False Film Festival and two cool independent productions they’re excited for. Kansas Silent Film Festival – Feb. 22-23 in Topeka True/False Film Festival – Feb. 28 through March 3 in Columbia, MO Coatwolf.com – [...]
In honor of Valentine’s Day, on this week’s Excess Hollywood, film critics Alex Lamb and Landon McDonald discuss great romantic and anti-romantic movies to watch with (or without) a loved one by your side. Romance Warm Bodies Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World Annie Hall Casablanca Like Crazy Wild at [...]
Plus-sized comedienne Melissa McCarthy earns a fair amount of laughs in “Identity Thief.” The movie itself, however, leaves viewers feeling like suckers, robbed of their time and money. The screenplay by Jerry Eeten and Craig Mazin lies most at fault; suspension of disbelief can only be pushed so far in a film. When the main [...]
“Bullet to the Head” isn’t as dumb and groan-worthy in its old-school mentality as “The Expendables 2,” but it isn’t as competently made as a typical Jason Statham vehicle either. Instead, it finds an undemanding middle ground of throwback nostalgia and mindless, cliché storytelling. But thanks to star Sylvester Stallone and veteran genre director Walter [...]
On this week’s Excess Hollywood, film critics Alex Lamb and Landon McDonald discuss the commercials of the Super Bowl and talk about why January sucks for Hollywood. They dissect “The Last Stand“, “Parker“, “Bullet to the Head” and “Warm Bodies.” RELATED CONTENT: The best and worst Super Bowl commercials Excess Hollywood: ‘Parker’ pays off [...]
While romantic zombie comedies are rare, this sub-genre has in fact been around for quite some time. “Shaun of the Dead” comes to mind as the prime example, although Peter Jackson made the first foray into this territory more than 20 years ago with the bloodiest film ever, “Dead Alive.” However, “Warm Bodies” takes a [...]
