Joshua and Sandell Review: Hugo

There is no audio portion this week

Sandell Stangl: From your text it seems like we have a similar opinion of this movie. 
Joshua Efron: I'm sorry to hear that.  I had hoped that I was the only one to feel the way I did about it - especially since I had wanted to to really like it.  Because I went into the theatre with hope and wonder and awe - and the film didn't fulfill its part of that bargain.  And the more people I speak to the more I hear similar opinions.
Sandell Stangl:  To start off this time, "Hugo" is about a little boy that lives in the walls of a busy train station. But when he meets the owner of a toy shop and the shop owner's god-daughter, he must figure out why the toy shop owner is so sad?
Sandell Stangl: Do you think that's a fair description Josh? Honestly it's hard to write a description of the film.
Joshua Efron: And that's precisely what's wrong with this movie.

Joshua and Sandell Review: Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Joshua Efron: That movie was so boring.
Joshua Efron: The 4th one. 
Joshua Efron: Just like........  yawn. 
Sandell Stangl: I cant believe it took an hour for something to happen.
Joshua Efron: I was bored when they got married, I was bored when they were fucking, and I was bored when she was dying. 
Joshua Efron: And I was bored when she was dead! 
Sandell Stangl: The only time I was not bored was when the wolves were talking. And that was because they were yelling really loud. 
Joshua Efron: Yes.  A scene where none of the actors were actually in front of the camera was the only scene you didn't find boring.
Joshua Efron: I think the only scene I wasn't bored for was............. 
Joshua Efron: .......  well, I had a nice conversation before the movie with the girl at the concessions stand.
Joshua Efron: It all went downhill from there.

Sandell Examines: My Little Pony: Frienship is Magic?

I understand how...unusual it might be for a 24 year old to write an essay over a show intended for little girls. Hear me out! This show has received a large following of people outside of it's original demographic. The question is why. I decided to investigate this query and what I discovered was something that I wasn't expecting. This show isn't  just good, it's fantastic!

Joshua and Sandell don't review: Immortals

Josh and Sandell review: Tower Heist

 
Sandell Stangl: So Josh what did you think of Ocean's 14...I mean Tower Heist.
Joshua Efron: Production company Imagine Entertainment has another true to form hit on it's hands.  I paid 7.50 for 2 hours of imagining entertainment.  Not since Imagine Entertainment's film "Cowboys Vs. Aliens" have I been so engrossed in having to imagine what it would be like to be entertained.
Joshua Efron: In case that was unclear: I didn't like it.

Sandell Reviews "The Thing"

So I wanted to post this review on Halloween but was unable to. Probably due to my severe addiction to bad Television and cocaine-laced fudge bars. Sorry that's not true, I hate television. Anyway, here is my review of "The Thing":

Josh and Sandell Review: Moneyball

                                                    This is the audio portion of our review

Sandell Stangl: Wow, an economics movie, yay! I hate economics. I just hate numbers in general.
Sandell Stangl: There were numbers in this movie but I didn't need to understand what they meant. Whenever baseball stats came up I knew the movie was telling me, "smart things are happening right now".
Joshua Efron: This movie drove me to once again consider how insufficient the term "character drama" is.  We've referred to several other movies with this term, but what does it mean?  A movie in which the plot serves the character rather the the opposite?  A film whose purpose and intent is to provide an exploration of the psychology and emotions of a character developed in a way toward connecting situationally with our own existences?
Joshua Efron: If that's the case than this movie wasn't a personal drama, but how can we call it anything else?  Oh, I've got it...
Joshua Efron: We'll call it...a "sorkindrama".

Josh and Sandell Review: The Lion King

                                                  There is no written portion this week.

Josh and Sandell review: Warrior

Sandell Stangl: Did you know that there were three movie titles with "The Warrior" when I did an imdb search?
Joshua Efron: That's why this movie was just titled "Warrior" in order to avoid any confusion.
Sandell Stangl:  I just wish they could have picked a better title for this movie. The Warrior? Really? Did that take all of five minutes to come up with? Next thing you know they'll release a movie called "The Fighter" - oh wait they did.
Joshua Efron: To speak on the title's behalf, there is a lot of Warrior-ing going on in this movie, and the majority of it is outside a fighting ring.  The elder brother is warrioring to keep his home, in which he places his value as a father and husband, from being repossessed.  The younger brother was warrioring both (formerly) as a marine and currently in the face of his challenges for his own personal reasons.  The brothers' father meanwhile warriors both against the person he once was and in order to rekindle his relationship with his sons.
Joshua Efron: Oh, and also they punch and fight but the movie is at its best when it's not dealing with that.
Joshua Efron: And its best is pretty good.

Josh and Sandell Review: Another Earth

                        The audio portion of our review contains spoiler-ish discussion.

Sandell: You know Josh, when I leave a theatre I usually still carry the feeling or tone I got from whatever movie I saw.
Sandell: When I left this movie I felt sort of...numb. Honestly, whenever I think about the movie I stil get a numb feeling.  The last time I remember feeling this way was when I saw the "The Fountain".
Joshua:   I interestingly enough I had a quiet urge to go watch "The Fountain" after leaving the theatre, so there was some similarity in reaction for me as well, even though neither "Another Earth" nor "The Fountain" left me feeling numb.  I know the feeling you're describing - Grave of Fireflies, Children of Men, and a few other nihilistically-twinged tragedies have left me feeling numb at their conclusion - but didn't get that from "Another Earth".

Josh and Sandell Review: Conan the Barbarian

                                   This is the audio portion of our review. Run time: 11:09

Joshua Efron: Let's get this over with.

Sandell Stangl: That's a good opening for this review.

Sandell and Josh review: The Help

This is the audio portion of our review. Run time is approximately 17 min

Sandell Stangl: Wow! So, it feels weird going to see a movie that I'm pretty sure will impress me. It seems like nowadays I go see a movie with the thought "Well, as long as it will entertain me" and then later cry myself to sleep that night...

Sandell Stangl: And I was impressed with this movie.

Sandell and Josh review: Cowboys VS Aliens

Sandell Stangl: So let me ask you this, how did feel about "Cowboys and Aliens" as a viewer?

Joshua Efron: Bored.

Joshua Efron: Immeasurably disinterested and bored.