Alabama Liberal
Blue in a Red State
Monday Morning Movie Review: Divergent
3 weeks ago
I loved this movie—-nah, just kidding. It’s mildly diverting (get it? hyuk yuk yuk) but ultimately generic. It’s a merely okay film that will be inevitably stacked up against The Hunger Games and probably found lacking.
What Works: The entire time all I could really think about was how this film More >
What the Hell was “The Good Wife” Thinking? Inside Their Big Mistake
3 weeks ago
[Major spoilers…IF you haven't already managed to have last night's shocking episode ruined for you by the internet.]
“The Good Wife” is on a creative hot streak this year with many proclaiming it their best one. It’s not easy for a show to do that in their fifth season. It’s downright IMPOSSIBLE More >
Movie Review: Muppets Most Wanted
3 weeks ago
The critics weren’t quite as in love with this movie as they were with the Jason Seigel starring The Muppets a couple years back, and it didn’t do nearly as well at the box office either. So, naturally, I liked it a little bit better…
What Works: Whether you think Muppets Most Wanted or The Muppets More >
Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel
3 weeks ago
I’m not a part of the Wes Anderson cult but when he’s really good (like in his masterpiece “Rushmore” or “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”) you can see why somebody would be. Well, after some so-so live action outings like The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom, Anderson is back in top form with The More >
Movie Review: Mr. Peabody and Sherman
3 weeks ago
A so-so animated film that is wildly popular at the box office for reasons that aren’t yet clear…
What Works: The best part of the film is actually the three minute cartoon that plays in front of it. As for the movie, it’s a small miracle that such dated source material is able to be a mainstream More >
Monday Morning Movie Review: Need for Speed
1 month ago
You can’t say I’m not loyal to a theme since even this movie is based off a video game, and apparently only that game’s users had any interest in seeing it this weekend. Sure, it’s a dumb movie, but maybe not the worst way you could spend two hours and fifteen minutes in a theater this month.
What More >
Movie Review: “300: Rise of an Empire”
1 month ago
Continuing with our theme of “films for fanboys/girls only that may be unsatisfying for the uninitiated” (that phrase could be used to help kids get over their stutter) is this sequel to 300.
What Works: I had a hard time with this movie mostly because I never held the original “300″ to the high More >
Monday Morning Movie Review: The “Veronica Mars” Movie
1 month ago
Just like with “The Wind Rises” this is a film that die-hard fans will enjoy much more than the uninitiated. Unlike “The Wind Rises,” this movie is the very first wide release to be “crowd-funded” (through Kickstarter) meaning that I really hope die-hard fans enjoy it since they’re essentially More >
Movie Review: The Wind Rises
1 month ago
Fans of legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki need no introduction to this film (also revealed to be his last), but not so sure it’ll really captivate anyone else. I would label it “for fans only” and not necessarily the best film to win over converts.
What Works: This is probably the hardest More >
TV Reviews: “Banshee” Ends BUT “Vice” Begins
1 month ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
Cinemax’s violent and pulpy drama-noir “Banshee” and HBO’s sobering (but exciting) R-rated news magazine “Vice” may not seem like natural fits but they are both premium cable breakouts that air on Friday nights and are mostly enjoyable even when (or perhaps especially) when going over the More >
TV Review: “True Detective” Goes Out Strong
1 month ago
by Alabama Liberal
in TV Reviews
It takes a big reviewer to admit when he’s wrong, and wrong I was about HBO’s Winter sensation “True Detective.” My review of the pilot was only lukewarm (the exact grade was a B-) because I felt the series was taking itself a little too seriously and the dialogue felt obtusely poetic to the point More >
Movie Review: “Non-Stop” But Should Liam Neeson Stop?
1 month ago
Liam Neeson can do wrong at the box office right now, but I’m not so sure this is the best creative period of his career, and it’s a little disheartening to see a once-fantastic actor trade in quality projects for action schlock. I know that having Neeson (Taken 2, Unknown…yeah, a real artistic hot More >
Movie Review: The Bogus “R-Rated Anchorman 2″ You Should NOT Pay to See
1 month ago
Hollywood never misses a trick to squeeze extra pennies out of a (mostly) used up turnip and the latest big squeeze is the “re-release” of movies you’ve already seen before in 3D (Jurassic Park, The Lion King, Little Mermaid, etc.). And now they think they’ve stumbled onto the next big wave by More >
Movie Review: Pompeii
1 month ago
Whew…well, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all…but that’s not really how reviewing works so let’s say it anyway…
What Works: The idea of setting a “star crossed lovers” movie against the backdrop of Pompeii isn’t a terrible one, and I could see where a starry eyed producer More >
Movie Review: Omar
1 month ago
This nominee for Best Foreign Language Film of 2013 is just now getting a sizeable rollout in U.S. theaters.
What Works: The premise is terrific. It revolves around the title character (a young Palestinian running with friends that could be called a very loose terrorist cell) being involved in the More >
