Whether “two thumbs up or two thumbs down,” legendary movie critics, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, have been giving us their take on movies for decades. What’s more, movie-going is a favorite pastime for many and it rakes in whopping bundles of cash at the box office, each year. On the flip side of things, CNN, the authoritative source, for breaking news around the globe, continuously keeps us abreast many timely topics. Included in these updates, is a year-end list of ‘The 10 best movies of 2012,’ but we will relook at three of them in closer detail.
Through the Director’s Lens
1. Director, Quentin Tarantino, is best known for pushing the envelope in terms of movies. His most recent example of this can be seen in the refreshingly different, Django Unchained. The film offers a winning combination of a spaghetti western and a rare glimpse of blaxploitation.
Comprised of an all-star cast including Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Christoph Waltz and a host of others, this movie tops the list because it generated a lot of buzz toward the latter part of ‘2012.’ According to CNN, Django Unchained is, “laugh-out-loud funny and full of fire.” Overall, Tarantino delivers in this film, by reminding us that slavery simply is absurd.
2. Zero Dark Thirty directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is yet another eye-catching film. Why? Well, the torture scenes are particularly gripping. And, the account for the wanted, Osama bin Laden, is designed to evoke the process of soul-searching. “Jessica Chastain has won raves as a CIA agent who leads the search,” adds CNN. “A high-voltage thriller with shocking gravity,” Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. This 160-minute thriller proves that women possess highly credible directing chops, too.
3. Director, Tim Burton, is responsible for bringing us a string of chart-topping hits. Included is Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; the list goes on-and-on, and now, Frankenweenie.
A 3-D horror film in black-and-white, Frankenweenie, is a sheer tribute to classic Universal monster movies. Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara lend their talent for this Disney film, that is not just for kids. Is there any shortage of talent from Burton? I think not.
Reeling You In
From action thrillers to cartoons, the work of directors and actors alike absolutely wows us. Which highly coveted names in Hollywood do you think will dominate the charts for the year ‘2013?’ Butter-up your large tub of popcorn, get your favorite beverage and wait and see. Oh, and don’t forget the Twizzlers!
Web Links:
http://www.cnn.com/?hpt=sitenav;
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/28/showbiz/movies/10-best-movies-2012
-Kimberly Williams
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