Tagged with johnny depp

“Finding The Tragedy in The Absurd: Talking Emir Kusturica’s ‘Arizona Dream’ and ‘Underground’”

“Finding The Tragedy in The Absurd: Talking Emir Kusturica’s ‘Arizona Dream’ and ‘Underground’”

A few weeks ago, thereabouts, my good buddy Oktay Ege Kozak and I sat down to record a new episode of The Playlist‘s Over/Under Podcast to talk about Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica and his bizarre-ass movies. To avoid pigeonholing the second of these two movies, Underground: Underground isn’t anywhere near as bizarre as Arizona Dream, the first of these … Continue reading

Review: Black Mass, 2015, dir. Scott Cooper

Review: Black Mass, 2015, dir. Scott Cooper

“James “Whitey” Bulger terrorized Boston as the boss of the Winter Hill Gang from the 1970s until the 1990s, went into hiding in 1994, fell into FBI custody in 2011, and now, thanks to filmmaker Scott Cooper, he’s stalking multiplexes in the gangster film Black Mass. For Cooper, the movie marks his third plum gig … Continue reading

Review: Mortdecai, 2015, dir. David Koepp

Review: Mortdecai, 2015, dir. David Koepp

“Who is this dashing, mustachioed Mortdecai chap? An art dealer, you say? A man of high breeding with impeccable taste in paintings and wines? A scalawag, a ne’er-do-well, a man of shady intentions? That clears things up a bit, but still, who isMortdecai? A putz, a schlemiel, a real screwup, an oaf dressed in aristocrat’s … Continue reading

Go, See, Talk! Review: Dark Shadows

Go, See, Talk! Review: Dark Shadows

My review should make it immediately, abundantly clear, but I really didn’t like Tim Burton’s latest gaudy, Gothic opus, a re-interpretation/adaptation of the 1960s/70s TV show Dark Shadows. Diehard fans who worship at the Nightmare Before Christmas director’s altar will probably find themselves quite dazzled by what he’s done here, and in fairness I think … Continue reading

Go, See, Talk! Review: 21 Jump Street, 2012, dir.

Go, See, Talk! Review: 21 Jump Street, 2012, dir.

Phil Lord’s and Chris Miller’s genius-level TV-to-movie adaptation, 21 Jump Street, has no right being as good as it is, but it’s easily the best comedy released so far this year and it could well be counted among the top five by the time we’re talking about year-end business. Hill’s in top form here, but Channing … Continue reading

Hi-yo, Jack Sparrow! Away!: First Look at The Lone Ranger

Hi-yo, Jack Sparrow! Away!: First Look at The Lone Ranger

If you haven’t already seen it courtesy of other, more Johnny-on-the-spot sources of Internet film journalism, then I’m happy to give you the first released glimpse of Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp in Disney’s 2013 release, Lone Ranger. From what I’m told, producer Jerry Bruckheimer Tweeted this image just today– which may not be surprising … Continue reading

Review: Rango, 2011, dir. Gore Verbinski

Review: Rango, 2011, dir. Gore Verbinski

Gore Verbinski got his kid’s movie in our spaghetti Westerns and neo noirs, and the results are surprisingly excellent. Rango, Verbinski’s 2011 animated story of a chameleon who lives in a terrarium and possesses aspirations of stage acting, is a gem, madcap and nutty and palatable for kids but most rewarding for movie lovers and … Continue reading