Comments for Gateway Cinephiles

Comment on Beyond the Black Rainbow by Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:37:44 +0000

Thanks for the comment! I believe you pretty much summed up my sentiments. :-)

Comment on Beyond the Black Rainbow by Beyond the black rainbow - review

Beyond the black rainbow - review — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:14:43 +0000

Did I have any idea what the hell was going on for the majority of this movie? No. Did I like that? Yes. Was there unbelievable story telling? Not really, but still good. Did it look amazing? Yes. Would I recommend this flick to everyone? No. Am I glad I watched it? Yes.

Comment on The Amazing Spider-Man by Alberto Boker

Alberto Boker — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 02:45:55 +0000

The recasting works. If Maguire is the Spider-Man of Spidey co-creator Steve Ditko, this is the Spider-Man of artist John Romita: a little slicker, a little more modern. Spider-Man in skinny jeans, if you will.`

Comment on A Fine, Good Place to Be: The Iron Horse (1924) by kid icarus

kid icarus — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 17:34:06 +0000

Very well written. Kudos, sir.

Comment on Beyond the Black Rainbow by Jennefer Too

Jennefer Too — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:23:51 +0000

It’s good to read your website again; I see some interesting updates here.

Comment on Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start by Traci Jarrett

Traci Jarrett — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:33:30 +0000

Check out this article detailing why it was a box office failure.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Box-Office-Bob-omb-5-Reasons-Scott-Pilgrim-Vs-The-World-Failed-To-Find-An-Audience-20168.html

Comment on My Own Private Apocalypse: The Dream Terrors and Waking Terrors of Take Shelter by Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:33:33 +0000

Thanks for your comments, Kevin!

I named the film the #4 feature of 2011, and I still feel confident about that choice after a second viewing.

My wife was particularly impressed with the character of Samantha. The “Nagging, Impatient, Doesn’t-Understand-Me Wife” is such a risible and over-used stock character, it’s a welcome relief to see a woman like Samantha in such a great film: emotionally perceptive, unwilling to tolerate bullshit, but also keenly aware of what her spouse needs. A great character and a great performance from Chastain.

Comment on My Own Private Apocalypse: The Dream Terrors and Waking Terrors of Take Shelter by Kevin J. Olson

Kevin J. Olson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:11:02 +0000

I just watched this, and I can’t seem to shake it. It’s really affected me in a way few films in recent years have. I loved this essay. Thank you for this. I like the dichotomy you set up here with the Waking Reality and Dream Reality. That really is what’s scariest to me about the film is the absolutely straight way that Nichols and Shannon and Chastain play it all. Nichols could have easily made a standard horror film about Curtis being a crazy man who has his own personal, isolated descent into madness and then is proven right by the end. But I love that Nichols refrains from that. The real horror is in the everyday things that people relate to and legitimately stress out over.

I love that scene where Curtis buys the gas mask. Shannon says so much with his face (like WHY did I buy this…we don’t have the money for such a weird thing to buy…but I HAVE to buy it because I know something big is coming where I’m going to need this) and Nichols’ subtle direction in that scene is great.

Also, I think Chastain is key in the film. First, I think it’s her best of many performances from 2011, but I think that she is really the character the audience first looks to when Curtis has his breakdowns or does something stupid. I’m just glad Nichiols kept Samantha as a supporting wife. When Curtis has his breakdown at the charity dinner, I thought that a lot of other filmmakers would have used that as an excuse to get Samantha and her daughter out of the film and turn it into a film where Curtis’ nightmares get the best of him. That still could have been an effective horror film, but I’m glad Nichols has the Samantha character stick around and support her husband because it not only gives that charity dinner scene more poignancy but the subsequent scene in the cellar more dread and power.

That cellar scene was almost unbearably tense, but because Nichols had Samantha stay in the film and try to help her husband, it gives so much more weight to the moment where Curtis finally does open the door to the cellar.

Anyway…I’m just rambling now. But damn did this movie affect me. I watched it two days ago, and I still can’t stop thinking about it.

Comment on Look/Listen: Interview with Steven Spielberg by Adam Zanzie

Adam Zanzie — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:34:24 +0000

Wow. That’s a marvelous interview you conducted with Spielberg, Andrew; I’m so jealous. It’s wonderful to see that a St. Louis critic got to interview the master himself! You should be proud.

Comment on Drive by In the Blogosphere – 2011 Year-End Compilation | Commentary Track

In the Blogosphere – 2011 Year-End Compilation | Commentary Track — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:01:50 +0000

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