Martin's Musings

The next time someone says to you, “They sure don’t make movies like they used to,” you can direct that person to my review of J.J. Abrams’ Steven Spielberg homage, Super 8.

Or, you can tell that person to see The Artist, an affectionately made tribute to the early days of filmmaking, when the addition of sound changed the industry forever, that’s made in the same style as one of those silent films from the 1920s.

(Yes, 2011 is apparently the year of the throwback.)

If you’re thinking Super 8 + Hugo = The Artist, I guess you’re not too far off. Just throw in a splash of Singin’ in the Rain, too. Continue reading →

In just about two minutes, David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo announces its arrival with an opening credits sequence that’s reminiscent of Fincher’s Fight Club, except much, much darker (and a bit kinkier too).

As the sounds of Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Karen O’s take on Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” play, it’s clear you’re in for a distinctly ominous movie.

And sure enough, with its story of murder, rape, violence against women, graphic scenes of torture, a plot involving Nazis, and a lead heroine who is so anti-social and prone to revenge that she’s a ward of the state, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no one’s idea of a feel-good movie.

And yet, it’s a pretty damned good one. Continue reading →