Phil sees THE DARKEST HOUR in 2D at the Camera 12-January 7, 2012

Welcome back folks! So the second feature I saw on Saturday was the new science fiction, alien invasion, end of the world, apocalyptic horror film THE DARKEST HOUR. While watching it I thought to myself, "Oh boy, this is going to be a tough one to review."

Theatrical Movie Poster (2011)

Stop me if you've heard this one: Two cool, good looking guys meet two very hot and sexy ladies and a douchebag guy and they survive an alien invasion and try to find other survivors and along the way discover how to defeat these hostile aliens and save humanity. Does this sound familiar to you? Yeah, I thought it did too.

OK, so now that we have established that this film contains nothing new and is basically the same schlock flick that Hollywood has been putting out for the past decade, let me tell you what I did like about the film. First: the two actresses in the film are Olivia Thirlby and Rachael Taylor who portray Natalie and Anne respectively. Now I've been a big fan of Thirlby for quite some time. From JUNO to THE WACKNESS to NO STRINGS ATTACHED, Thirlby is a very talented actress and I enjoy her work. Taylor is just smoking hot. From the first time I saw her in Michael Bay's 2007 film TRANSFORMERS, I was infatuated. But when I saw her in films like BOTTLE SHOCK, SPLINTERHEADS, and SUMMER CODA, her acting in these films were amazing. Taylor really is a gifted actress. I hope these ladies will appear in another film together again. The played off one another great and have good on-screen chemistry.

The other thing I liked about the film was it was filmed on location in Moscow. It's been a long time since I've seen Moscow in a film (I think the last time was in ROCKY IV). Having the film take place there was a very good idea, giving it an exotic look, having incredible looking buildings and ancient and historical landmarks and monuments really made the film look impressive.

Other than these two items, the rest of the film is recycled crap. I saw the film in 2D, to which I am very thankful. If I saw it in 3D, I would have wanted to stab my eyes out with a plastic fork. The movie is bad, just really, really bad. There is nothing original about the film. By the end of the film, the main character Sean (portrayed by Emile Hirsch) becomes the 21st century version of John Conner from the TERMINATOR series. I mean it's so damn obvious. I want to know if the filmmakers thought nobody would notice this? Well guess what guys? I noticed it, and you guys suck!

THE DARKEST HOUR is one awful sci-fi, horror film. Folks best skip this film all together. Don't go see it, don't Netflix it when it comes out, don't Redbox it, just ignore it all together. Hopefully it will be forgotten, and I shall never have to see it ever again.

THE DARKEST HOUR is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, check their website at www.cameracinemas.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil sees COWBOYS & ALIENS at the Camera 7 Pruneyard-August 19, 2011

The Western genre has been a staple of Hollywood long before there was even a Hollywood. One of the first westerns was THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, directed by film pioneer Edward S. Porter and released by Thomas Edison Film Company in 1903. Since then, American audiences have been in love with Western genre. Names like Gilbert "Broncho Billy" Anderson, John Ford, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, and others helped bring to life the stories of the old west. Now director Jon Favreau brings to the big screen his take on the Western, and adds a new ingredient to the mix: Science Fiction, and thus COWBOYS & ALIENS is fun-filled ride into the sunset. With aliens!

The film takes place in the Arizona territory in 1873. A lone drifter named Jake (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of nowhere with no memory of who he is and how he got there. He stumbles in to the town of Absolution where the town is ruled with an iron fist by Col. Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). When a surprise alien attack kidnaps most of the town's citizens (including Woodrow's son), both he and Jake form a posse to rescue the townsfolk. Along the journey Jake meets a stunning woman named Alice (played buy the beautiful Abigail Spencer) who holds the key to Jake's memories.

Now there is enough action in this here film to satisfy the most die hard western fan and sci-fi geek. The CGI ships and aliens are really top notch, and the action scenes are intense. Both Craig and Ford bring some fine acting to this film, and with a title like this, one might expect some level of camp. But there wasn't any in the film, which surprised me. With the film SNAKES ON A PLANE, there was enough camp in it to make John Waters blush with envy. Director Favreau really focuses on bring action and excitement while anchoring it in reality. The sets and locations are what you  would expect from a western film. He keeps the film moving toward the big, epic final battle, with mankind's existence hanging in the balance.

John Favreau has had a very interesting career. He started off as an indie actor, starring in films such as NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND (1995), SWINGERS (1996), MADE (2001), and later appeared in mainstream films like I LOVE YOU, MAN (2009), and COUPLES RETREAT (2009). His big commercial break was directing the for mentioned MADE, and soon began directing other hits like ELF (2003), IRON MAN (2008), and IRON MAN 2 (2010).

COWBOYS & ALIENS is rip roaring sci-fi, western classic that delivers the goods! Being a cowboy has never been more difficult, and a lot more fun. So strap on your saddle and get a move on, cause we be tracking down some aliens partner!

COWBOYS & ALIENS is now playing in theater nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the South Bay. To view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cameracinemas.com/index.shtml

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!