Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter goes from utterly preposterous to dead series (and back) faster than our 16th President could decapitate a bloodsucker. What, you didn't know that one of America's most revered leaders battled the undead before and during his tenure in office? The concept feels as if it emerged from a Mad Libs session gone haywire, and the film itself weirdly treads a line of being self-aware (how can it not be with a title like that) and playing things a bit too straight for its own good, at times losing its narrative momentum when it should be pumping adrenaline instead of going for quiet drama. But as a fan of ridiculous movies, I can't think of a more ludicrous film I've seen this year; this is a period piece from the director of Wanted, and it totally lives up to that description and all the insanity it implies.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Director: Timur Bekmambetov Starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Rufus Sewell, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

The NJNM Podcast: Ep. 93 - Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

In this week's episode, Ben and Tyler discuss Eli Craig's 2010 film, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.

Introduction

Character Name Game Intro - 3:19

Media Consumed

Tyler

Gentlemen Broncos - 5:30
"Life's Too Short" - 10:20

Ben

Cooking A Contemporary Classic: A Conversation with "Breaking Bad" - 12:55
Rounders - 15:18
All Dogs Go To Heaven - 20:20

Review

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil - 28:08

Wrap-Up

Next Time:  Presumed Innocent  - 52:33

Listener E-mail/Voicemail/Twitter - 53:15
Character Name Game - 54:43

Where You Can Find Us - 56:27

Character Name Game Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7lhkKCHeaE

Brave

The pervasive sentiment among critics so far is that Brave feels more like a Disney movie than a Pixar movie, but that doesn't take away from this film's achievements. I've never seen an animated Disney film pull off a mother-daughter relationship half as satisfying as this one, and while the plot may stumble across some rote and familiar territory here and there, it's still an immensely satisfying story that gives ample reasons to care about its characters. Brave not only has a beautiful setting and gorgeous animation, it's also an empowering tale that encourages you to live by the old Terminator 2 mantra, "there's no fate but what we make."

Brave
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell
Starring: Kelly Mcdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Craig Ferguson

Rock of Ages

I'm a fan of 80s hair metal. I have nearly every one of the songs from this film's soundtrack in my iTunes (performed by its original artist, of course). I'm also a Tom Cruise fan, and I'm not completely opposed to musicals. So it's safe to say I fit pretty nicely into the demographic for Rock of Ages. But can the director of Hairspray successfully pull together an all-star cast and turn this Broadway musical into an entertaining film?

Rock of Ages
Director: Adam Shankman
Starring: Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Tom Cruise