Geek of Oz

John Romita Jr and Mark Millar’s Kick Ass is the only graphic novel I have ever read.   I came away from it with a slight glow, perhaps because it was my first, but certainly because I appreciated the storytelling style and the unique artistic style. Mathew Vaughn first brought Kick Ass to the screen in 2010 in a film which I adore – a true blend of meta-comedy, ultra-violence and pop culture references. Kick Ass 2 expands on the world of the first film in an interesting way but doesn’t quite achieve the same impact as its predecessor. Based roughly three years after the events of the first film, Dave Lizewski/Kick Ass (Aaron Johnson) has inspired a small army of regular folk to don costumes and take to the streets as crime fighters. Mindy Macready/Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) is now living with her godfather Detective Marcus Williams (Morris Chestnut) and is struggling after the death of her father Big Daddy. Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has abandoned his alter e...

The Call could be easily be mistaken for a straight-to-DVD late 90s film due to its generic look and feel. After perusing director Brad Anderson’s ( The Machinist ) filmography I wasn’t surprised to see that the majority of his work has been in the wonderful world of television. His latest effort feels like an extended episode of a nondescript police television show. Halle Berry stars as veteran 911 Operator Jordan Turner who is forced to face her demons as a call goes horribly wrong when a young girl is kidnapped by a potential serial killer. By no means a perfect film, The Call delivers enough thrills and takes enough chances to warrant a watch.