Author: Jason Zingale

Director Guy Ritchie has yet to shake the comparisons to cult phenom Quentin Tarantino and has been considered on many occasions as his British counterpart, but is that really such a bad thing? Tarantino has been influencing young directors for nearly a decade since the release of his tour de force, “Pulp Fiction.” His debut feature, “Reservoir Dogs,” was an even bigger inspiration for independent filmmakers when it hit Sundance in 1992, and undeniably so to Ritchie’s own debut, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” The film reflects the same kind of material that you’d find in a Tarantino flick,…

The end of the 1990s was a great time for movies, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees. While 1999, in particular, didn’t feature too many Oscar contenders (“American Beauty” walked away with most of the major awards, and rightfully so), it did see the release of modern classics like “The Matrix,” “Office Space,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Election” and “Run Lola Run” – all films that have stood the test of time over the last ten years. Of that group, however, none have aged better than David Fincher’s “Fight Club,” a movie that some…

The critical and commercial success of EA’s “Skate” series must have really burned Tony Hawk and the people at Activision, because for the latest installment in the Tony Hawk game franchise, they’ve given in to the alluring gimmick of motion controls. Following the release of the Wii Balance Board, every developer under the sun has been trying to put out some kind of game-specific peripheral to milk even more money out of consumers, so it was only inevitable that someone would create a skateboard controller as well. Unfortunately, while you might think you’ve hit the jackpot upon opening “Tony Hawk:…

When you think of Nintendo, you instantly think of their mascot, Mario, so it makes sense that they would utilize the character’s popularity as much as possible. For all the different games that he’s appeared in over the last 25 years, however, Nintendo has continued to stick with what works by releasing side-scrolling platformers starring the famous plumber in red. It’s been three years since “New Super Mario Bros.” came out for the Nintendo DS, and though his latest adventure isn’t quite a direct sequel to that game, it has inherited its title. Still, for as lame as the title…

The “Fast and the Furious” trilogy has never gotten a fair shake from movie critics, but while it certainly won’t go down as one of the more memorable film franchises, it still works surprisingly well as mindless entertainment. After all, you’re not watching these movies for their Oscar-worthy performances, but rather for the adrenaline you get from watching cars you’ll never get to drive yourself speed through crowded streets. The trio of films is like car porn for gearheads tuned to embrace a wider audience, and though it’ll never get the respect it deserves, this is one franchise that still…

Unlike last month’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” which was also based on a popular children’s book, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is very much for kids and adults alike. Well, not exactly, but while Spike Jonze’s dark exploration of a child’s psyche was never really made for kids to begin with, they’ll probably get a kick out of Wes Anderson’s film – even if they don’t completely understand it. Still, if there was ever a movie that finally removed the stigma that animated films were strictly for kids, this is it, because while “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a child’s tale at…

Most people will take one look at the premise of Daniel Barber’s “Harry Brown” and immediately liken it to a British version of “Gran Torino.” The two films certainly share a lot of similarities – both are about older men battling a gang of young punks, and both star one of the greatest actors of their generation – but where “Harry Brown” differs is in the violent behavior of its title character and his victims. The end result is a little more like “Death Wish,” and although it may be difficult to imagine someone as mild-mannered as Michael Caine in…

In the wake of the success of “Paranormal Activity,” moviegoers are going to take one look at director Olatunde Osunsami’s “The Fourth Kind” and laugh, because it might just be the most ridiculous movie made in years. It takes real nerve to open a film by parading your lead actress in front of the audience to declare that what they’re about to see is based on real events, but Osunsami does just that, and comes off looking like a fool in the process. Though his attempt at creating the ultimate hoax seems to have convinced some people that it’s real,…

After winning both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” is poised to become a major player during award season. Underneath all the overrated praise and Oprah Winfrey-led publicity campaign, however, is a rather mediocre film that doesn’t induce any real emotions so much as it makes anyone that doesn’t leave the theater in tears feel like a cold-hearted bastard. Do people really buy into this kind of heavy-handed melodrama so easily? Because while “Precious” certainly looks the part of the powerful award-worthy drama, it does…

The story behind the making of the original “Boondock Saints” is like a modern day fairy tale, but the story behind its sequel is even more amazing. For anyone familiar with the 2003 documentary, “Overnight,” the sheer idea that egotistical bartender-turned-filmmaker Troy Duffy would ever get another shot after he pissed away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would sound like the ramblings of a mad man. But thanks to the countless pleads for a sequel from his rabid supporters, Duffy has been given a chance to repay their kindness with a movie exclusively for the fans. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it any…