Tag Archives: drama

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2012) -vs- The War Zone (1999)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) -vs- The War Zone (1999)

British actress Tilda Swinton is best known here for her Oscar-winning supporting turn as an icy, villainous lawyer in Michael Clayton (2007), but neither the role nor the performance really demonstrates what this woman is capable of. Again and again, she’s shown a willingness to take on roles that would terrify most actresses, be it due to the subject matter, the character’s off-putting actions, or what the part physically demands (she is apparently comfortable with all manner of nudity and sex scenes; ever see Young Adam?), and it is this complete lack of fear or modesty combined with her striking physical features (alabaster skin, bright red hair, really damn tall) and just plain uniqueness that have made her such a darling of the independent film world. Continue reading

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The Young Victoria (2009) -vs- Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Young Victoria -vs- Sherlock Holmes

Calling all Anglophiles! England’s longest reigning monarch takes on the cleverest subject of her (fictional) realm in this All-Union-Jack Smackdown. Both repackaged and reimagined for the new millennium’s theatergoing audience — the usually buttoned-up Victoria gets unstuffed and sexed up in a lush period romance/political drama, and Sherlock gets the no-holds-barred no-punches-pulled Guy Ritchie/Joel Silver treatment. Both title characters make formidable contenders for the Smackdown crown; there’s nothing I appreciate more than a really good makeover.
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Posted in Awards, Book Adaptation, Drama, Franchise, Major Star Vehicle, Oscar, Period, Sherry Coben | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bryce’s Ten Best Films of the Past Ten Years

Everybody seems to be out with their Top Ten. This year it’s a two-fer. You can go with “Top Ten of 2009″ or “Top Ten of the Decade.” I say go for the Top Ten of the Last Ten. Now, … Continue reading

Posted in Action, Animated, Awards, Blockbuster, Book Adaptation, Bryce Zabel, ChickFlick, Classic Smack, Comedy, Comic Book, Coming of Age, Comix, Disaster, Drama, DVD Release, Fantasy, Foreign, Franchise, Holiday, Indie, Journalism, Kids, Major Star Vehicle, Music, Musical, Oscar, Period, Politics, Polls, Race, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi, Smackdown News, Thriller, Travel, Urban, War, Weblogs, Western | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) -vs- Lost in Translation (2003)

The Smackdown There must be something about Scarlett Johansson in a foreign land getting mixed up in love, sex and forbidden romance that is like catnip to directors. So far it’s inspired two of them to deliver extremely solid films … Continue reading

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