thekansan.com

Movie review: 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' an adrenalin rush and a love letter to fans

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:27:32

Although the special effects are now somewhat dated, the "Star Trek" original series has always occupied a special place in my geeky heart. What the show may have lacked in budget, it more than made up for with great characters and good storytelling. Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Dr. McCoy, Scotty and the rest of the original Enterprise crew have become some of science fiction's most beloved characters. Though we never got to see the end of their five-year mission, they've never [...]

Movie review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Wed, 15 May 2013 1:00:00 +0000

Despite its grim title, this sequel to J.J. Abrams� really, really good, but not quite great reboot of the �Star Trek� franchise is going to be an absolute joyride for a lot of viewers. The writing has been knocked up a few notches; though Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) still remain at the film�s center, the rest of the crew has been given more to do this time; and most important, �Into Darkness� is truly a valentine to �Star Trek� fans, especially those who have been into it [...]

Movie review: The best ‘Gatsby’ adaptation yet

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Fri, 10 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Hardcore F. Scott Fitzgerald fans have always written off the idea of a movie adaptation of �The Great Gatsby� as something impossible to get right. A look back at the four films that it�s been turned into so far reveals that their negative thoughts have been pretty accurate. Of the versions made in 1926, 1949, 1974, and 2000 (for television), only the �74 film, with Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan, has come close to capturing the essence of the book, but even so, [...]

The Readers’ Writers: Nonfiction author Robert K. Tanenbaum

By DA Kentner, More Content Now — Fri, 10 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Robert Tanenbaum�s legal career as a prosecutor mirrors the best, and the worst, of this country. Brooklyn native Tanenbaum became the homicide bureau chief for the New York district attorney�s office, where he never lost a felony trial. He played a role during the congressional investigations into the murders of President John F. Kennedy and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King by serving as the deputy chief counsel in charge of the investigation into the assassination of Kennedy. He�s also served [...]

Movie review: 'Iron Man 3' a fun start to the summer movie season

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Mon, 6 May 2013 19:14:15

"Big man in a suit of armor � take that off, what are you?"

That's a question Captain America asks Tony Stark/Iron Man during "The Avengers" movie. Of course Stark fires back one of his trademark snarky replies � "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" � but he's not forced to seriously consider that question until "Iron Man 3." The first two "Iron Man" films were all about Tony creating the suit and coming to grips with his new [...]

Leonardo DiCaprio brings Jay Gatsby to life

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Mon, 6 May 2013 16:19:09

Jay Gatsby is a strikingly handsome, incredibly wealthy man who�s shrouded in mystery, at least involving the source of his riches. He�s terribly lonely, and regularly throws wild parties in his opulent mansion, just so there are people around him. He�s hopelessly in love with a (married) woman from his past, and will do anything he can to win her. What actor wouldn�t want to play the lead in �The Great Gatsby?� Well, five have attempted it on film, to varying degrees of success. There was [...]

The Readers’ Writers: NYT bestselling author Helen Brown

By DA Kentner, More Content Now — Fri, 3 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Helen Brown became an international bestselling author with her memoir �Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family.� Technically �Cats and Daughters� is the sequel, or follow-up, to that acclaimed book. But as �Cleo� is a memoir, the sequel is in reality the next chapter in the author�s life. And what an interesting life she�s had.
Breast cancer drove the arrow of mortality awareness into Ms. Brown. While recuperating from surgery and all the accompanying emotional highs and lows, the last thing Ms. [...]

Movie review: ‘Iron Man’ franchise still soaring

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Fri, 3 May 2013 1:01:00 +0000

This series hit the ground running five years ago, then it and its title character took to the sky, and in the third terrific installment, it�s still soaring. Although Jon Favreau, who directed the first two films, sticks to just acting here (playing bodyguard turned micromanaging head of security Happy Hogan), the transition to director Shane Black is a smooth one, partly due to the great collaboration he and star Robert Downey Jr. shared in Black�s most recent film, the underrated �Kiss Kiss [...]

Beyond 'The Avengers': Marvel prepares for 'Phase 2' of superhero franchise

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Thu, 2 May 2013 11:51:39

Before 2008, many people weren't familiar with the Marvel comic book superhero Iron Man. DC Comics characters Superman and Batman had long been the two most famous superheroes, and no one was expecting a movie based on Tony Stark � a snarky narcissist in a metal suit � to be a mega-hit.

However, Robert Downey Jr.'s great performance not only rebooted the actor's own career, it also helped launch an impressive theatrical run for a line-up of Marvel superheroes, culminating in last [...]

Movie review: 'Oblivion'

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:01:03

At first glance, Jack Harper doesn't seem very different from other average, everyday Americans. Each morning, he wakes up, travels to work, comes home, eats dinner, goes to bed, and then wakes up and does it all over again.

Yet there is something that separates Harper, and that's the fact he happens to be the ONLY person on the planet Earth who is still following this routine. "Oblivion" is set in the year 2077, and Harper (Tom Cruise) and communications officer Victoria [...]

2013 summer movie preview

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:58:20

As a self-professed film addict and lover of all things fantasy and science fiction, summer tends to be my favorite time of the year at the box office. :) This is when Hollywood tends to roll out the best of its big-budget films, and this summer, we have quite a selection: from superheroes, to giant fighting robots to the return of the USS Enterprise. Although the reception to the 2013 films released so far has been a bit lukewarm, quite a few hotly-anticipated films will come out in the [...]

The Readers’ Writers: Dietician Harry Papas

By DA Kentner, More Content Now — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Harry Papa, author of �Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight,� was born, raised, and continues to live in Greece. Fit and strong in his surroundings, he suffered the stress of separation and loneliness once he left his comfort zone for college. In one year, Papas gained 110 pounds. Worse, like so many of us, he couldn�t find an effective way to shed the pounds and regain the happiness that left when the weight moved in. He tried many diets, but inevitably regained the poundage. [...]

Movie review: ‘Oblivion’ is oblivious

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 1:01:00 +0000

Tom Cruise has starred in some great science fiction movies: �Vanilla Sky,� �Minority Report,� �War of the Worlds.�
�Oblivion� is not one of them. �Oblivion� is from a special subgenre of science fiction movies: Huge-budget films that feature wild action sequences and beautiful people and supposedly thought-provoking ideas, but when you get down to the bottom of it all, don�t make a lick of sense.
A recent example of this was �Inception,� but that film was saved in the end by a [...]

Mark Wahlberg talks about ‘Pain & Gain’

By Ed Symkus, More Content Now — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:07:31

When Mark Wahlberg takes on a role in a film, he becomes that character. Not in any method way of acting. Rather, he preps for the part, then infuses any relatable pieces of himself into whoever he�s playing. In the case of the darkly comic, based-on-fact �Pain & Gain,� he plays Daniel Lugo, the not-very-bright bodybuilding mastermind of an absurd plot to get a wealthy client�s money in order to start living his version of the American dream. Suffice it to say, things go very wrong. Wahlberg [...]

Movie review: 'Jurassic Park 3D' a worthy upgrade

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:37:22

I'll never forget the first time I watched "Jurassic Park." It's an intense, harrowing experience � and one that continues to make me jump, no matter how many times I've watched it since then. From the moment the characters first land on the ill-fated island where dinosaurs have been brought back to life, to the end where the survivors barely manage to escape with their lives, director Steven Spielberg doesn't give viewers much of a chance to stop and catch their breath. If the T. [...]

The Farr Side: Talent is promising for ‘The Voice’

By David T. Farr, GHNS — Thu, 4 Apr 2013 11:53:56 +0000

I�m sorry if you�re still watching �Dancing With The Stars.� If you are, it means you�re missing �The Voice.� And let me tell you � you�re missing out on one great show.
�The Voice� is back for Season 4 with two new judges. Shakira and Usher have replaced Ceelo Green and Christina Aguilera. As much as I appreciated Ceelo and Christina, I�m loving Shakira and Usher in the swivel chairs. Both fit in nicely with veteran coaches Blake Shelton and Adam Levine.
Can Shakira and Usher produce [...]

Movie review: G.I. Joes return to the big screen with "Retaliation"

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Mon, 1 Apr 2013 20:42:53

All film fans have their guilty pleasures: movies we know fall short of cinematic greatness, but for whatever reason, we still love them anyway. Maybe it's the over-the-top alien invasion movie "Independence Day" with its endless explosions, or maybe it's "Armageddon," featuring Bruce Willis and Co.'s quest to destroy a giant asteroid headed for Earth. For me, one of my favorite film guilty pleasures is 2009's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. [...]

The myth of the blockbuster: How marketing impacts the films we see — and the ones we don't

By Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:03:41

The Rotten Tomatoes movie review site gave it only a 20 percent rating, classifying it as "rotten." Critics weren't kind in their assessment of it and made comments such as, "It's confusing and excessive and it just missed the mark completely"; "a painful blend of overproduced action"; and "(a) violent, crude, pointless sequel."

While this may sound like the recipe for a flop, the film went on to make an [...]

Movie review: ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ will have you cheering

By Ed Symkus, GHNS — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 5:17:00 +0000

There are all sorts of lessons to be learned in this violent, exciting, flag-waving chunk of action cinema.
One: When a knowledgeable military person radios his chopper pilots with the warning, �Be on the lookout for possible advanced weaponry,� pay attention.
Two: When you�re a depraved bad guy, and a vengeful good guy says to you, �I�m gonna stick my knife through your brain,� take heed.
You�ve probably figured out that the Olympus of the title has nothing to do with Greece and [...]

Movie review: ‘Admission’ adaptation won’t please fans of the novel

By Ed Symkus, GHNS — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 5:15:00 +0000

Films like this comedy have a guaranteed opening weekend audience just because a big TV star has the lead role and is all over the poster. That would be �30 Rock�s� Tina Fey. Those folks probably won�t be disappointed in this lightweight film, even though Fey plays it kinda bland, as is called for her character.
But fans on the novel it�s based on are going to have some problems, in that so many of the story�s elements have been changed beyond recognition.
The basic plot is about [...]