• Actor: Edward Norton
• Character: Derek Vinyard
• Film: American History X
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Polished Performances
Posted in Uncategorized with tags 1998 on May 18, 2017 by Mark WalkerThe Voices
Posted in Comedy, Drama with tags 2014 on May 15, 2017 by Mark Walker
Director: Marjane Satrapi.
Screenplay: Michael R. Perry.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver, Ella Smith, Sam Spruel, Paul Chahidi, Stanley Townsend, Adi Shanker, Valerie Koch.
“Friday I had a pretty cushy gig. Had lots of friends, I was the office hottie… now I’m a severed head in a fridge. Sucks to be me…“
In 2007, director Marjane Satrapi delivered the autobiographical, coming-of-age animation Persepolis. It garnered her an Oscar nomination, making her the first woman to receive a nomination in the Best animated category. Foreign language films, Chicken with Plums and The Gang of the Jotas followed after but these two films slipped under the radar. Now, though, she tackles the American market with a blackly comic, serial killer tale. Continue reading
Split
Posted in Horror, thriller with tags 2017 on May 9, 2017 by Mark Walker
Director: M. Night Shyamalan.
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan.
Starring: James McAvoy, Ana Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Izzie Coffey, Brad William Henke, Sebastian Arcelus, Neal Huff, M. Night Shyamalan.
“An individual with multiple personalities can change their body chemistry with their thoughts”
When The Sixth Sense was released in 1999, it became an instant hit and has since entered popular culture. It’s director, M. Night Shyamalan, became the hot property in Hollywood and much anticipation followed his projects. However, Shyamalan has never quite reached the same level of quality. In fact, some of his films were so poorly received that he became synonymous with mediocrity or, in some cases, inspired unintentional laughter. To be fair to him, though, his ideas were always great but he just wasn’t able to deliver the finished product and his latest in Split suffers a similar fate. Continue reading
Polished Performances
Posted in Uncategorized with tags 1975 on April 21, 2017 by Mark Walker
• Actor: Jack Nicholson
• Character: R.P. McMurphy
• Film: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Don’t Breathe
Posted in Horror, thriller with tags 2016 on April 19, 2017 by Mark Walker
Director: Fede Alvarez
Screenplay: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues.
Starring: Dylan Minnette, Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Daniel Zovatto, Emma Bercovici, Franciska Töröcsik.
“There is nothing a man cannot do once he accepts the fact that there is no god”
After a series of horror shorts, director Fede Alvarez was finally given his big break into feature length filmmaking by being tasked with reworking the cult classic horror Evil Dead. This also brought the backing of the original film’s director and star, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell who took producer duties. It was a huge task for Alvarez to undertake and although it worked for some, it happened to be one of the worst films I had the misfortune to see in 2013. With Don’t Breathe, however, Alvarez has managed to claw back some respect. Continue reading
Polished Performances
Posted in Uncategorized with tags 1999 on April 17, 2017 by Mark Walker
• Actor: Tom Cruise
• Character: Frank T.J. Mackey
• Film: Magnolia
The Infiltrator
Posted in Biography, Crime, Drama with tags 2016 on April 14, 2017 by Mark Walker
Director: Brad Furman.
Screenplay: Ellen Brown Furman.
Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Gilgun, Juliet Aubrey, Amy Ryan, Yul Vasquez, Olympia Dukakis, Jason Isaacs, Art Malik, Said Taghmaoui, Juen Cely, Rubén Ochandiano, Simón Andreu, Christian Contreras, Michael Paré, Carsten Hayes, Daniel Mays.
“This is what I do. I’m an undercover narcotics agent. I sit with murders and bait men and I lie. I lie my ass off”
After their collaboration on The Lincoln Lawyer in 2011, Director Brad Furman reunites with Bryan Cranston and John Leguizamo once again. Most of the positivity surrounding that film was slightly overshadowed by Matthew McConaughey’s renewed invigoration for dramatic acting (or the start of the McConaussance as it came to be known) while the likes of Cranston and Leguizamo filled in as support. The film itself was a decent enough legal thriller and now with The Infiltrator, Furman explores the other side of the law. Only this time, his fringe players take the central roles. Continue reading
