The Good German (2007) -vs- Chinatown (1974)
The Smackdown The trouble with being a Man Who Wants to Know Too Much is that you can take a real beating for your curiosity. Now that “The Good German” is out on DVD, we’re […]
Thriller
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) -vs- Armageddon (1998)
The Smackdown Honestly, I wasn’t planning on writing about “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Truth is, I hated the first “Fantastic Four” movie and had, shall we say, minimal expectations for the second […]
Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) -vs- Ocean’s Twelve (2004) -vs- Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
The Smackdown If early audience response counts for anything, bet big on “Ocean’s 13” this summer. Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (“Sex, Lies and Videotape,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Traffic”) created a popular series combining snappy storytelling and bankable […]
Children of Men (2006) -vs- 28 Days Later (2003)
The Smackdown The apocalypse has gone post(al) in both of these films set in England. The action in both starts in London then moves to the country, where the living is not easier. In both […]
Fracture (2007) -vs- Primal Fear (1996)
Both “Fracture” and “Primal Fear” are high-concept legal thrillers that are helmed by the same director, Gregory Hoblit. Both films also pit charismatic up-and-coming actors against venerable movie icons who have been acting longer than their young co-stars have been breathing on this planet. Lastly, both movies feature a movie ending plot twist. However, one twist will have you clapping your hands because of its beautiful artistry and the other will have you smacking your face because of its absurdity. Read further to find out which is which…unless you’re ok with smacking yourself in the face. […]
Perfect Stranger (2007) -vs- Shattered Glass (2003)
The Smackdown Apples and oranges. Comparing films, or people — even apples and oranges — forces tough judgment calls. That’s why it feels safer to key our comparisons on hard, irreducible nuggets of experience. Our […]
Premonition (2007) -vs- The Gift (2000)
The Smackdown What would you do if you knew about events, life-and-death events, in advance of their occurrence? What could you do? Both “Premonition†and “The Gift†use a mother as the main character who […]
Black Book (2007) -vs- Europa, Europa (1990)
The Smackdown It’s the ultimate identity crisis. You have to pretend to be a part of a group that wants to kill everybody in the group you’re really in. That’s the jeopardy that these films […]
Grindhouse (2007) -vs- Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Smackdown Quentin Tarantino is a man dangerously close to something, and you’ll get different answers as to what that something is depending on who you ask. Acceptable answers would include: (1) dangerously close to […]
Disturbia (2007) -vs- Rear Window (1954)
The Smackdown What were once called voyeurs, with links to aberrant behavior and psychiatric studies, are now just… Us. Since the visual media explosion that began halfway through the last century, we have become a […]