Category: Rack Focus

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Rack Focus: Review – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Gary Sundt

I actually really wanted Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance to be good. I’m a comic book fan, and I had hopes that directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor would bring the same wit, vigor, and panache that they brought to Crank, Crank: High Voltage, and to a lesser extent, Gamer. It takes time and energy to effectively execute remarkable cinematography, and it’s an even bigger challenge to keep your story before your intense visuals. I will acknowledge that there are some neat moments in Spirit of Vengeance, and maybe somebody will be goodly enough to put those moments to rocking music and post it on YouTube one day. Continue reading “Rack Focus: Review – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”

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Rack Focus: Podcast: Episode 1 (2/18/12)

Gary Sundt

“Who is the worst character in Star Wars: Anakin or Jar-Jar? Do the characters in Star Wars know they’re speaking English? Is that Terrence Malick playing Chancellor Valorum? All this and more will be covered in the very first episode of Rack Focus, the new podcast from film critic Gary Sundt and AtTheBuzzerShow.com.” Continue reading Rack Focus: Podcast: Episode 1 (2/18/12)

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Rack Focus: Review: The Artist

Gary Sundt

As I live in Los Angeles, I am an avid listener to the hilarious Kevin & Bean Show in the mornings on KROQ 106.7 FM. This past Tuesday, Kevin was complaining about The Artist, this year’s apparent frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards. Not only does our man Kevin dislike the film, but he has gone as far as to call it “utter BS.”

He has, of course, made up his mind having never seen the film, under the guise that it is for hipsters and intellectuals. They’re all wrong, but we’re going to circle back to that.

In the meantime, let me explain a little bit about The Artist. Here we have a silent film about the silent film era, specifically focusing on the transition into the talkies. Many silent film stars lost their livelihood when sound came along, and more than a few ended their lives when they were told their careers as movie stars were over. Those who could afford to reinvent themselves did just that, and such is the path of our protagonist, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a Frenchman who has spent his career singing and dancing and emoting without the aid of words. When sound hits the street, his success hits the skids, and he’s left to navigate the ways of filmmaking with only his faithful dog and his faithful driver (James Cromwell). Continue reading “Rack Focus: Review: The Artist”

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Rack Focus: Review: The Grey

Gary Sundt

At the risk of spoiling the entire film, I must warn anyone who was stirred to see The Grey from its promising trailer. It’s not that the latest picture from writer/director Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team) isn’t his best yet — in point of fact, it is — but it’s that the film that was sold to you is not really what you’ll be getting. It’s not dissimilar to Drive, an art film stuck with a “fast and furious” trailer. These aren’t bad movies, but the false pretense on which you see the film may leave you dissatisfied.

So here’s my warning: If you, like me, watched the trailer and determined that a snow-covered and wartorn Liam Neeson fighting wolves with a fistful of broken bottles was a film worth your hard-earned dollars, be prepared to be disappointed. It’s not that you’ll dislike The Grey, but this is a film that will give you everything but what you thought you were promised. The outrage from the audience was palpable and reasonable when the ending credits began, as though a ruse had been pulled and we had been gipped a dollar. But there is still a lot to like in The Grey, so long as you can accept the movie on it’s own terms. Continue reading “Rack Focus: Review: The Grey”

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Rack Focus: Sex, Trees, Wizards, and Aliens, or The Very Best of 2011

Gary Sundt

Hey there, gang! My name is Gary Sundt, and this is my very first piece as film critic for At the Buzzer. To those who know my film criticism, hello again. To those who are new to the game, glad you could make it, and check out my past reviews over at garysundt.wordpress.com. And to those who have a problem with my opinions and wish to strike up a debate about films and filmmaking, please feel free to do so as I’ll be thrilled to pound your very wrong opinions into the ground.

Now that we’re done with formalities, let’s get to my breakdown of the Best Films of 2011. While I thought coming up with 10 films I loved from 2011 would be difficult, I’m rather surprised to discover just how much there was to love. I’ve written a lot of these lists in the past, and I’d like to try something different this year by merely denoting my favorite flicks and giving them awards I’ve seen fit to make up.

From lizards to mutants, from aliens to sad people, from sex to sex with the Irish — here’s my recap of the very best of 2011 in film. Continue reading “Rack Focus: Sex, Trees, Wizards, and Aliens, or The Very Best of 2011”