Blogcritics Author: Michael Clayton

Movie Review: The Dark Knight

Michael Clayton — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:32:15 EDT

Believe the hype -- this is the Citizen Kane of comic book movies.
If you are reading this, it is likely safe to surmise that you are anticipating the opportunity to see Christopher Nolan's sophomore effort in the Batman franchise. You have likely been subjected to the raves the film has secured from almost every critical forum that has viewed it. You are likely aware of the maddening level of praise that...

Movie Review: 27 Dresses

Michael Clayton — Sun, 8 Jun 2008 13:27:31 EDT

Some people incorrectly assume there are no quality "chick flick" films; there certainly are, but this is not one of them.
Unlike most American males, I have always been open to viewing a number of films in the male-opposed genre known as "chick flicks". My reason for braving these films are quite simple: first of all, I don't believe its reasonable to assault the merits or quality of a film genre without having explored it to some degree. Second of all,...

Classic Cinema Corner: Amadeus

Michael Clayton — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:36:34 EDT

This Best Picture winner presents a compelling murder mystery against the world of classical music.
When the American Film Institute released their updated list of the 100 Most Important American Films ten years after the original list, there were a number of alterations that I felt were worthy of my attention. I was pleased to see the inclusion of some films that were absent from the first list (such as Blade Runner, Titanic, and Sophie's...

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Michael Clayton — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:35:24 EDT

The fourth installment in this fabled franchise is extremely silly and overwhelmingly ridiculous. It also happens to be immensely fun to watch.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an extremely implausible, ridiculous film. Many will argue that this was true of the three previous films in the franchise, and they would be correct; however, the suspension of disbelief was not nearly as overwhelming as it is in this picture. Normal people waltz away from nuclear fallout...

Movie Review: Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Michael Clayton — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:14:42 EDT

As a whole, the film is not as hysterical as the first movie, but it still has many funny moments.
In all honesty, I didn't find Harold & Kumar Escape from Guatanamo Bay to be as funny as I had anticipated, nor did I think the film had the subtle wit that elevated the 2004 original from being another generic stoner comedy to being one of the most amusing entries in the genre. Even the plot of the film lacked the surrealist quality of...

Seven Terrific Films That Are Truly Poor Adaptations

Michael Clayton — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:13:54 EDT

Sometimes drastic differences between the novel and the film versions should not be viewed as negative.
Since the earliest days of film, the world of literature has been looked to as the source material for many a movie, and that trend has only grown more prominent as time has passed. Whenever a newly published written work manages to cultivate an audience of considerable proportions, more often than not a movie version is soon to follow. In fact,...

Movie Review: The Rules of Attraction

Michael Clayton — Fri, 9 May 2008 09:05:09 EDT

Despite some problematic attributes, this Bret Easton Ellis adaptation manages to provide a sufficient measure of entertainment.
Upon learning who the creative forces were behind the 2002 dark comedy The Rules of Attraction, I will fully concede that my expectations for this film were gargantuan. For one thing, the film was an adaptation of a Bret Easton Ellis novel. Ellis also wrote the source material for two films I personally adored, Less than Zero and American Psycho. ...

An Analysis of the Arguments Presented in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Michael Clayton — Thu, 8 May 2008 11:26:22 EDT

An examination of the theories and ideas presented in Ben Stein's controversial new documentary about Intelligent Design.
Earlier today, I finally had the pleasure of viewing Expelled, Ben Stein's controversial documentary that seeks to validate the theory of intelligent design. Despite the fact that the film was certainly a one-sided affair, I felt the presentation was both effective and enjoyable. It also approached the material with, at times, a sense of...

Classic Cinema Corner: Touch of Evil

Michael Clayton — Sun, 4 May 2008 12:25:46 EDT

This latter-years Orson Welles masterpiece further proves the master filmmaker never lost his flair for celluloid brilliance.
In this column my objective is to present films that are considered classic and/or culturally significant, in order to analyze them and attempt to understand their lasting appeal. Ultimately, any emphasis on the influence and lasting appeal of classic film would not be complete without mentioning the name of Orson Welles. His 1941 satire on...

Movie Review: Iron Man

Michael Clayton — Sat, 3 May 2008 23:30:50 EDT

The summer movie season begins with an outstanding entry in the growing superhero genre.
My love affair with the comic book medium began in my toddler years, and has only strengthened as the years progressed. Therefore, I naturally viewed the recent growth of comic-related film as an excellent step for the medium, and in many ways a logical one. In fact, I have always argued that every comic book film should be at least as good as...