FBI Archives - Movie SmackdownÂ®

American Hustle (2013) vs. The Informant (2009)

December 12, 2013 Arthur Tiersky 0

Who doesnâ€™t love Matt Damon and Christian Bale?

(Okay, probably this guy doesnâ€™t love Bale so much, and Minnie Driver still might be holding a grudge against Damonâ€¦But just go with me on thisâ€¦)

And who doesnâ€™t love when big stars like Matt Damon and Christian Bale ugly themselves up with bad hairpieces and weight gains and cheesy facial hair for a scruffy little indie role?

And who doesnâ€™t love period offbeat indie comedies based on true stories in which the aforementioned uglied-up big stars like Matt Damon and Christian Bale play real-life dudes who started working undercover with the Feds to catch criminals, only to turn out to be unreliable and devious and driven by their own agendas?

And who doesnâ€™t love when original mavericks of low-budget filmmaking like Steven Soderbergh and David O. Russell return to their indie roots and makeâ€¦what I just said above? […]

Argo (2012) vs. The Last Shot (2004)

October 11, 2012 Arthur Tiersky 0

So let’s talk about movie movies.

First, youâ€™ve got your movies about movies, which range from the beloved classics (Sunset Blvd., Singin’ in the Rain) to the cult oddities (Barton Fink, The Stunt Man) to the amusing trifles (Bowfinger) to the less-said-the-better (Hollywood Ending).

Then youâ€™ve got your movies that sort of know they’re movies, i.e., meta-movies, a diverse genre that includes such intriguing experiments as Adaptation and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.

Then there’s the movie-within-movie movies, notable entries being Kiss of the Spider Woman, The French Lieutenant’s Woman and Almodovar’s Bad Education. […]

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) -vs- Psycho (1960)

June 25, 2012 Jonathan Freund 4

The horror, the horror. Itâ€™s Hannibal the Cannibal and Not-Yet-Agent Starling from the Oscar-sweeping Silence of the Lambs vs. Norman Bates and the Crane Sisters in the Hitchcock masterpiece that put the word Psycho into the pop vernacular.

In addition to their enduring popularity in film schools and on screens of all sizes, these two classics of high-end terror have an astonishing amount in common. One has creepy taxidermy, while the other has creepy butterflies. Both borrow elements from the crimes of real-life serial killer Ed Gein; both, based on popular novels, were departures of sorts for their directors; both feature female protagonists who become objects of judgmental and voyeuristic males. Both films deal with disturbing memories of a dead parent. Both set their climax in a killerâ€™s cobwebbed basement. And both feature immortal villains played by actors named Anthony ___kins in unforgettable big-screen performances. […]

Awake (NBC) -vs- Fringe (Fox)

April 30, 2012 Mark Sanchez 1

Itâ€™s the lucky ones among us who get the luxury of a â€œdo over,â€ a chance to take the road less traveled. Poet Robert Frost isnâ€™t the first person to actively wonder what lies on the other side of the life weâ€™ve made. A pair of admired TV programs work that street of possibilities, although maybe not for long.

Letâ€™s touch on the newer and more endangered series first. NBC announced Awake as a mid-season replacement for 2012. This is a cop show with a twist that marks it as a fresh entry in a tired, overplayed genre. Propelled by advance hosannas at the Criticsâ€™ Choice Television Awards, the series premiered on March 1 to more than six million viewers, but despite the healthy start, low ratings may put Awake to sleep before it gets a shot at Season 2. […]

J. Edgar (2011) -vs- Hoffa (1992)

November 10, 2011 Sarah Harding 1

Jimmy Hoffa is arguably the most famous trade unionist in American history and for 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was one of the most powerful men in the country. Both Hoover and Hoffa were iconic, controversial figures â€” at once hero and villain, both revered and reviled. […]