Written Review: Being Flynn (2012)

by Jason Pyles
Movie Podcast Weekly.com

Premise: A delusional, dead-beat dad (Robert De Niro) resurfaces in the life of his son (Paul Dano), who works at a homeless shelter where he finds it especially difficult to serve his father as a patron.

Review: Unless you have an affinity for dramas or Robert De Niro, the trailer for “Being Flynn” doesn’t look like anything to write home about. It appears to be just another little indie drama with a big star, some clever dialogue, and a few poignant moments, something along the lines of another “Smart People” (2008) or the like. Continue reading

Written Review: Wolf Town (2010)

by Jason Pyles
Movie Podcast Weekly.com

Premise: Four friends get stranded in an abandoned, gold-mining town, where they are preyed upon by a pack of wolves.

Review: Nothing is scarier than being eaten alive. I’d rather be buried alive than eaten alive. That’s why this unthinkable predicament makes such an effective backdrop for the characters in “Wolf Town.” When watching a film like this, it’s impossible not to wonder to yourself, ‘What would I do if I were in this situation?’

I’ve said it many times before on my podcasts, but a golden premise to me is something I refer to as the situational thriller or situational horror film, which is when a movie’s characters find themselves in precarious circumstances that aren’t immediately life-threatening, but the longer they remain in the situation, the more deadly and hopeless their predicament becomes. Continue reading