The movie America needs: “12 Years a Slave”

 

(2013 – Director: Steve McQueen   Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o)

12 Years a Slave is the most important film of the year. It’s a film that needed to be made, as gruesome and unnerving as it may be, and demands to be seen. As Mick LaSelle said, “It provokes recognition in us of the very heart of darkness. It makes the unimaginable imaginable.” 12 Years turns what we read in textbooks and puts it not only into a reality, but into a first person narrative that mentally shoves us into a slave state. Director Steve McQueen doesn’t just punch you in the gut: He strikes fear in your heart all while stripping everything that makes you human. What you see will surely be burned into your memory forever.

Pod, James Pod Podcast: Episode 004 – ‘The World is Not Enough’

Episode 004 of Pod, James Pod Podcast released this past weekend. If you haven’t had a chance to listen you can use the player below, iTunes, or Stitcher.

This month, Carlin and I cover The World is Not Enough, but mostly we talk about a competitor, Carlin’s new assistant QK, low-end exaggerations, and Alabama Dog. We’re looking for some iTunes reviews so hate it or love it, we want to hear from you!

‘Nebraska’ is my kind of movie

 

(2013 – Director: Alexander Payne   Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte)

I could start by talking about how Alexander Payne’s newest film, Nebraska, is, yet again, a masterful addition to his growing library of classics. I could talk about the peculiar casting and how Bruce Dern and Will Forte are deserving of all the accolades that come with their leading performances. I could talk about the writing, or the music choices, or what have you…but this story is personal.

‘The World’s End’: A rare, intelligent comedy

 

(2013 – Director: Edgar Wright   Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost)

Director Edgar Wright and gang deliver what is the funniest movie of 2013. The World’s End is perhaps the silliest of his Cornetto Trilogy, but it’s strengths lie in its originality and ability to corral its characters’ more meaningful goals.