Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The 5th installment from Hogwarts has made its way to the big screen, this time a little darker and more complex. The story continues with Harry and his old friends and some new ones as well. The Ministry of Magic refuses to believe Harry and Dumbledore's claim that the evil lord Voldemort has returned influencing the opinion of much of the wizarding community and those at Hogwarts. In addition, Hogwarts has hired a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher – Dolores Umbridge (played masterfully by Imelda Staunton). Instead of teaching the young wizards helpful spells to defend themselves, Umbridge limits her teachings to a text book – which alarms Harry and his crew. Who is to teach the kids the proper way to defend themselves in case Lord Voldemort attacks? Step in…. Harry Potter. As with the other Potter films, almost all of the major action takes place in the last 20 minutes. The rest of the movie is full of discovery, the development of the evil plot, and the on goings at Hogwarts. To me, so much of the fun has been watching the characters grow up and mature. I find Harry’s character has become more complex with each chapter in the story. The ending of this film is probably the most emotional of the 5 so far. I was very impressed with the final wizard battle, my only complaint being I wish it would have lasted a little longer – just felt too short. This was not my favorite Potter film (still #3 for this guy), but I found it to be a very strong link in this magical chain of movies……

If this movie had parents they would be: “Just look back at the Potter Tree”

* * * or grade B

With a running time of 138 minutes
This film is rated PG-13

Once Review

Once: Movies such as this one are my main inspiration for writing these reviews. A brilliant, small film overshadowed by the summer blockbuster season….it is my duty to call attention to this work of art. The film stars Glen Hansard (lead singer of the band The Frames) and new comer Marketa Irglova. Hansard plays a guitar playing street performer who loves to write and sing his own music on the streets of Dublin - even if it is for only small tips. One night someone stops to listen (Irglova), she instantly sees genius in him and a relationship is formed. The story is then told through songs that both of the lead actors sing, either by themselves or with each other. If you have any type of enthusiasm for music, this is the film for you! The songs sung in the movie bleed passion. The acting by Hansard reels you into the characters and makes you see the beauty in their songs. The film was shot in just 17 days with a budget of only $130,000 – the inelegant style only helps the mood of the film. There were a few times in the movie I had chills just watching and listening to the performances. I cannot say enough good things about this small movie that could, other than I hope you see it in the theater!!!!! “2007 movies” – the bar has been set!

* * * * or Grade A-
If this movie had parents they would be: Lost in Translation & Walk the Line

With a running time of only 85 minutes
This film is rated R

Indy Incubator Review

Indy Incubator Film Fest 4: It might have been one small step for Matt Kubinski and Charles Klein (creators of the incubator), but it was a giant leap for the Indy Incubator Film Fest (IIFF). The IIFF celebrated season 4 by introducing a panel of judges that critiqued each film and awarded a “best in show” at the end of the night. The panel consisted of Kathy Byrne from the Chicago Film Office, Ed Griffen from WTTW's Image Union and Matt Sardo from the Chicago Comic Vault.
As for the films themselves – another terrific harvest!!! The fest really got moving with a screening of Apocalypse Oz, a marvelous creation from cineclash productions. The film mixed elements of Apocalypse Now and the Wizard of Oz to perfection. Director Charles Klein in association with Film Beyond brought us the next highlight – Brain. The film centers on a handsome young man nicknamed – Brain, who works in the IT department of a company he does not like. One day he flips and goes out drinking….in his mind, he had the night of his life! Right before the intermission D-mob productions brought the house down with their small film – Ass Periods. Not for the faint of heart, the story centers around a wish made by a girl that her boyfriend would get a menstruation period so he could see what it is like first hand. As the title suggests….the wish came true. The movie was done perfectly, highly creative and just the right shots to get some gross humor going, but stopped short of being “vomit material”. Bravo!! I was not the only person impressed with Ass Periods, as the judges declared the film “Best in Fest” at the end of the night. The second half of the fest had 2 films from Blame Society – The Death of a Pumpkin & Chad Vader 7. Both these films were of the highest quality and very creative; Blame Society really has something great going on. In all it was a great night for the movies. All the filmmakers should be proud as to should Matt Kubinski and Charles Klein. They have created a Film Fest that keeps getting bigger, better, and more creative. Great work guys!!! See you in November for Season 5.

Spiderman 3 Review

Spiderman 3: The web slinger is back in his third installment and this time his web was stuffed with one to many storylines. The Hollywood formula for these blockbusters is to always top the last one…..well sometimes more is less, as is the case with Spiderman 3. For starters, Peter Parker has a record - 3 villains to take on while balancing his relationship with Mary Jane and new love interest Gwen Stacy. On top of that he is overtaken by a mysterious black substance that gives way to a “darker” Spiderman and Peter Parker. All of this crammed into a 2 hour 20 minute action packed movie, there is no wonder it feels “rushed” at the end. This is not to say that the movie is without highlights. The action sequences are a plenty and are the best of the series. Catching me by surprise was the humor the movie had, this is by far the funniest Spiderman. As for the 3 villains mentioned before: Sandman played by Thomas Haden Church was well done and looked fantastic on screen, but due to limited screen time, never lived up to his stature. The New Goblin played by James Franco came out with a lot of energy, however needing to stretch his plotline out, he gets thrown into a soap opera storyline for much of the movie. Finally we have Venom played by Topher Grace, all I can say is “way under written”. It felt Venom was just thrown in there to satisfy some hardcore fans as he appears late in the movie with almost no back story. The ending has everyone and everything colliding for a climatic battle atop New York City. It was the 1st time I finished a Spiderman movie and did not feel totally satisfied. This is in no way a BAD movie, it just failed to live up to the expectations the first two movies created for it. I enjoyed a lot of it, I was disappointed by some of it, the result….an average Spidey 3.
* * and ½ or a grade: C+

If this movie had parents they would be: Batman & Robin and Superman II

With a running time of 120 minutes
This film is rated PG-13