Ron's Popcorn Reviews.com
Movies reviewed based on the concept of filmmaking as an art.
LATEST REVIEWS
3.5/4 STARS
Posted March 4, 2010
By Ron Rapoport
I saw Gary Marshall’s wonderful new film Valentine’s Day about two weeks ago. For some reason, I couldn’t find the time to sit down and write a review. Evidently, I found some now and in doing so, I was reminded of why I like this movie so much in the first place. Writing about this film brings back the joy of watching it. Roger Ebert wrote that a very good movie imprints certain memories and nuances, but its reality fades rather quickly, unlike with a great movie. Going by this criterion, I can’t say that Valentine’s Day is a great movie. I can say it falls between “very good” and “great,” because even though its reality faded after watching it, returning to its reality is as pleasant as watching even a great movie. Read More>>>
2.5/4 STARS
Posted February 20, 2010
By Ron Rapoport
Taxi Driver. Raging Bull. GoodFellas. Casino. The Aviator. The Departed. These are some of Martin Scorsese’s masterpieces. These are the products of the greatest filmmaker of all time. Yes, better than Alfred Hitchcock. Martin Scorsese is a master of filmmaking. A pioneer. A damn genius. My favorite director of all time. It genuinely pains me to say that a movie I have been anticipating since 2007 is the biggest disappointment I have ever seen. I have never been so upset about a movie. This movie is
2.5/4 STARS
Posted Fenruary 13, 2010
By Ron Rapoport
Werewolves are fairly popular icons. They are used over and over again in movies, books, and television shows. But what about the werewolf? What started the phenomenon? That would be the classic Universal Pictures monster movie from 1941 starring Lon Chaney, Jr. Now, in a time when vampires are popular at the box office, Universal Pictures takes a bold step by trying to remake their own classic horror movie. With Benicio Del Toro in the lead role, this remake looked perfect on paper. The final product can be described with many adjectives, none of which are “perfect.” Read More>>> 3/4 STARS Posted January 30, 2010 By Ron Rapoport Blockbusters have a knack for avoiding intelligence. Producers accept an action movie as just an action movie and stay clear of any themes or ideas that could stimulate a controversy. That’s why 3.5/4 STARS Posted January 28, 2010 By Ron Rapoport When trying to imagine what the new British drama Fish Tank is like, try crossing two much acclaimed movies from 2009: An Education and Precious, two movies that are polar opposites. Or just try imagining An Education ten times darker. It’s uncanny for a movie like Fish Tank to come out in January, a month that usually showcases lame comedies and clichéd horror movies. To be fair, this movie did come out in 2.5/4 STARS Posted January 25, 2010 By Ron Rapoport Very few films can master the art of cynicism. Bottom line (a phrase the characters in this movie like to use), Wonderful World is not one of them. What a great idea, right? Matthew Broderick will play a heartless cynic who learns to love and appreciate the world he lives in through a series of mishaps. No, not really. Read More>>>
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
LATEST BLOG ENTRIES
The nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards
Posted February 2, 2010
By Ron Rapoport
Remember when I was skeptical about the Best Picture category being expanded to 10 movies instead of 5? If The Blind Side being nominated for Best Picture doesn’t prove my point, only Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen can. Thank god they didn’t nominate that. If you didn’t get it yet, the nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced today. I watched the announcement like I do every year and was excited as usual. But as I said before, 10 nominees devalues the category. And I was right. The motherf----- Blind Side?! Read More>>>
Posted December 31, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
It's December 31, 2009 and at midnight we're in a new decade. It's the perfect time to name the best films of the past 10 years. The was a hard list to compile but I've chosen 20 wonderful pieces of cinema that, for me, are the most memorable and personal films I've seen in these 10 years. The list will start from #20 and work its way down to #1, which is of course the best. Read More>>>
Year in Review: the Best and Worst of 2009
Posted December 30, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
It is December 30, 2009, with only two days left to go in the year, so I thought it'd be appropriate to finally name the best movies of 2009. First, let me say that 2009 was a particularly balanced year in movies. There were the astonishingly great ones and the absolutely terrible ones, with too many in between. Was it a weak year? No. Was it a strong year? No. But almost every movie on my list of the best of 2009 would have been here even if it was one of the best movie years. A few might be here because there was nothing better, but nothing could beat the top 5. I’ll begin my list from #10 down to #1, with #1 of course being the best. Read More>>>
My meandering blog entry about "Up in the Air"
Posted December 24, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
I am insanely and madly in love with Up in the Air. It is the best movie of 2009 and one of my favorite films ever. I noticed a trend on Rotten Tomatoes that may indicate that Up in the Air may in fact win the Best Picture Oscar. It seems most of the Best Picture winners have an average rating of over 8.0. Before, I thought Precious was the front runner for Best Picture, but the hype has slowed down and its average rating is 7.9. Its edge over Up in the Air is the approval percentage, which is currently 91 percent. Up in the Air has an average rating of 8.1, with an approval percentage of 89 percent. However, the approval percentage for Up in the Air constantly dances between 89 and 91, and it still has a hugher average rating. Just a couple days ago (yes, I check) it was 91, now its 89, with more people seeing it and a backlash forming. In a few days, it will most likely be back in the 90’s range. Read More>>>
LATEST DVD REVIEWS (PRE-2008)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)
4/4 STARS
Posted October 29, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
Quentin Tarantino’s movies have a lot of talking. The Lord of the Rings trilogy has a lot of walking. Walking and talking are considered to be the dullest elements of movies. Tarantino turned talking into an art form. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the second and best chapter of the highly praised trilogy, turns walking into an exhilarating and absorbing three hours. This entry is one of the greatest sequels ever made, improving on every flaw of The Fellowship of the Ring. Every criticism of mine of the first chapter does not apply to The Two Towers, a soaring masterpiece of innovative filmmaking and strong storytelling. Read More>>>
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)
2.5/4 STARS
Posted October 29, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
No trilogy since the first three Star Wars films (episodes 4-6) has been as lauded as The Lord of the Rings. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s benchmark collection of books, the first chapter of the story was brought to the screen in 2001 and made a household name out of Peter Jackson, as well as some of the stars. The Fellowship of the Ring marks the beginning of one of the most well-known and applauded trilogies in the history of cinema. However, that does not indicate that the film, which sets up the next and far superior two entries, is anything more than an overblown, and overlong, muddle. Read More>>>
FARGO (1996)
4/4 STARS
Posted April 9, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
“You did all that, just for a little bit of money?” Marge Gunderson asks. The tired and insane Grimsrud stares back and looks confused. He is realizing that he probably doesn’t even know himself. And when the innocent Marge asks that, not only do we mentally recap the brilliant
THE DEPARTED (2006)
4/4 STARS
Posted April 9, 2009
By Ron Rapoport
Martin Scorsese’s name is embedded in cinematic history. Almost any movie he makes becomes a classic, such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, GoodFellas, and Casino, but I think his greatest achievement is The Departed. It is hard to say that because GoodFellas is almost equally as good, but The Departed is much deeper on a psychological level. It morally tests the audience and like Million Dollar Baby, it is not about good and evil, but about right and wrong. What is the difference between the demented mob boss and the foul mouthed and violent police sergeant? These are the types of question that The Departed lays out, and they all add up to one big question: What divides both sides of the law? Read More>>>
