Ain’t Them Bodies Saints Blu-ray Review

    Actors: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

Director: David Lowery

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: December 17, 2013

Run Time: 96 minutes

 

 

        I can’t think of a way to discuss David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints without simultaneously addressing the career of Terrance Malick, and that’s somewhat disappointing on many levels. In some ways this is a poetic style of filmmaking which comes down to preference, though there are also issues of originality.

 

 On one hand, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is more reminiscent of early Malick in terms of story with the visuals of some of his later work, making for a more cohesive viewing experience than a film like To the Wonder. On the other hand, like much of Malick’s recent work, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints makes me long for the films it resembles more than enjoy I actually enjoyed this one. Style is no issue for Lowery, but it often overshadows what little narrative contained within his script.    

 

One Direction: This is Us Blu-ray Review

Language: English

Subtitles: Cantonese, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: December 17, 2013

Run Time: 199 minutes

 

 

        Somehow, I had higher expectations for this documentary when I heard that Morgan Spurlock had directed it. Up to this point there was a distinct style and approach to Spurlock’s films which I enjoyed, though you would hardly know of his involvement in this commercial 92-minute love letter to the boy band manufactured on British reality television. They treat the subject with such adoration that it is clear Spurlock took a paycheck to make this mindless fluff piece. It feels even less sincere than the film Spurlock made by selling to advertisers. At least that was direct and honest, whereas this one is mindless logic and stupid sequences of these young men acting like boys.

 

        The most frustrating thing about this documentary is how little material there is which has any significance beyond fan adoration. These boys don’t seem to have much personality that is their own, and what there is remains a mystery. We get to see as they are clothed by professionals, have their hair done for them, and given music to sing on a set other people designed for them. They are so uninvolved beyond their own moments in the spotlight that their security guards actually have to chase them down and carry them to the performances. Watching their behavior and the professionals feeding off of their success is like watching parents who don’t want to say no to their unruly children in public. It’s embarrassing.

 

The Smurfs 2 Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Raja Gosnell

Writers: David N. Weiss, David Ronn, J. David Stem, Jay Scherick, Karey Kirkpatrick

Producers: Ben Haber, Jordan Kerner

Format: Multiple Formats

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French

Dubbed: French

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Release Date: December 3, 2013

Run Time: 105 minutes

 

 

        The origins of Smurfette are widely discussed in the world of Smurfs. Why is there only one female Smurf and where did she come from? This answer has long been a part of the Smurf mythology, and answering it becomes wonderful idea for the basic premise of The Smurfs 2. Not only do we discover that Smurfette (voiced by pop star Katy Perry) was actually created by Gargamel (Hank Azaria) as a spy to be unleashed on the Smurfs, but there are additional creations by Gargamel called the Naughties. Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette to try and discover the magic that Papa Smurf used to make her into a real Smurf.

 

        This is where the plot detours from the origin Smurf story a bit, because it is magic that made Smurfette rather than simply the love and kindness given to her from the Smurfs. This allows for a reason to kidnap Smurfette, as Gargamel attempts to create his own Smurfs for stealing their essence and becoming the world’s most famous magician. The plot wears a bit thin, but there is plenty of Smurf humor and action to keep this film from being boring. The casting of the adult characters is more likely to engage the adult audience members, while the children viewers will be enamored by the magical CGI blue creatures.

 

The Simpsons: The Sixteenth Season Blu-ray Review

Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English, French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: December 3, 2013

Run Time: 527 minutes

 

 

        The weirdest part about the delayed release of past seasons of “The Simpsons” is the gap in relevance for many of the pop-culture jokes and cameos. It’s somewhat like television time capsule, but not always in the most pleasant sense. This may be the longest running animated series on television, but you can feel the desperation in some of these episodes as the writers struggle to stay relevant in a world of “South Park” and “Family Guy.”

 

        The sixteenth season has moments which are sincerely funny, others which are very obviously done merely for shock value and to push the adult humor further than before, and then there are bits which are just bad. Fortunately, there are less of the bad jokes and more of the edgy humor, but not enough of it has the charm that “The Simpsons” once had. Some of the episodes almost feel like recycled material, redone with dirtier double-entendre jokes inserted.

 

Saving General Yang Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Adam Cheng, Ekin Cheng, Vic Chau, Li Chen, Yu Bo

Director: Ronny Yu

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Cantonese

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

 

 

        Saving General Yang is a solid film, though it may lack the amount of originality that would set it apart from dozens of other Chinese war epics to be released in the last decade. As engaging as the storyline and action may be, there is trouble relating to any one character or even to properly distinguish each of them from each other. The story and action often take precedence, which lightens the emotional impact of the final sequences.

 

        The film takes place in Northern China during the early Northern Song dynasty, AD 986. The great General Yang Ye (Adam Cheng) long ago killed the leader of a clan in battle, and the surviving son is determined to enact revenge for his father. He kidnaps General Yang in order to carry out the revenge, at the same time that an invading army of thousands approaches the north. Led by his first son (Ekin Cheng), General Yang’s seven sons set out on an impossible mission to bring their father home.

 

The Rooftop Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jay Chou, Eric Tsang, Wang Xueqi, Xu Fan

Director: Jay Chou

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen

Language: Cantonese

Subtitles: English, Chinese

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: December 10, 2013

Run Time: 120 minutes

        Very little about The Rooftop feels very original, with a great deal of the storyline and feel of the film seemingly taken directly from Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! (2001). It is entertaining and fun, but also a bit predictable, melodramatic and self-indulgent. Fortunately, the target audience likely won’t mind these shortcomings for the chance to see Jay Chou shirtless and singing.

 

        Chou is best known in the Unites States for his supporting role as Kato in The Green Hornet film adaptation, playing the role made famous by Bruce Lee, but in China he is a huge pop star as well as an actor. This film makes for a natural transition into directing as well, allowing him to control a film that allows him to display his most admirable assets. There is plenty of singing and dancing, a lot of fighting, and endless scenes with Chou’s abs proudly on display.

 

Exclusive Filmmaker Interview with Ryoo Seung-wan

 

 

Ryan Izay: You are no stranger to action, in a variety of different style and genres throughout your filmography.  The Berlin File utilizes many of these, including some gun play, hand-to-and combat, chase sequences and more. Do you have a favorite to work with?

 

Ryoo Seung-wan : I must’ve liked to work with all of them in order to have put them in the movie right? Of course, I do like to add actions scenes that I prefer but I now try to think more about what kind of action scenes the movie needs. The above mentioned action scenes that you’ve mentioned are a combination of my personal preferences and also what the movie needed to push the story forward. It’s hard to choose a favorite because each type of action has its own unique flavor. It was so difficult choosing the various action scenes while making the movie, please don’t make me choose again!

 

The Seasoning House Blu-ray Review

Actors: Sean Pertwee, Kevin Howarth, Rosie Day, Anna Walton

Directors: Paul Hyett

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: December 3, 2013

Run Time: 89 minutes

 

 

        The Seasoning House is a film with a premise that never quite pans out in a satisfactory manner, although it delivers all that it promises in terms of vengeance. The problem with revenge thrillers is the success that others have had in the genre in the past decade or so. There have been quite a few of them, and since the 1970s with Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left (1972) and the cult hit I Spit on Your Grave no sub-genre seems more determined to push the limits of violent revenge. Unfortunately, there is little memorable about the methods of revenge in The Seasoning House, making for a surprisingly tame tale of vengeance.

 

        The other difficulty I had with The Seasoning House was the real-life scenario which sets the film up. A young deaf mute girl named Angel (Rosie Day) is ripped from her home during the war in the Balkans and taken to a house where young kidnapped girls are forced into prostitution for any passing military personnel. The saving grace for the film’s narrative is also the most unbelievable aspect of the story when Angel is never prostituted. Somehow her disabilities make her better suited for maid-like duties, which seems strange considering how much communication is key to her job in comparison to the jobs of the other girls in the house.

 

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane Blu-ray Review

   Director: Jonathan Levine

Writers: Jacob Forman

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Anchor Bay

Release Date: December 3, 2013

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

 

        The hype far surpassed the actual content of All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which actually seems quite tame despite initial ravings from a select few able to see the film when it was first made seven years ago. After collecting dust for much of those seven years, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is now old news. Even the casting of Amber Heard in the title role has little of the same impact since she has shed her virginal teen image, though fans may find it refreshing to see her in a film with a little baby fat in her cheeks. As often happens with a few years in the spotlight, Heard is more of a cookie cutter starlet these days, with little to no fat in her cheeks or anywhere else on her body.   

 

        It is actually quite easy to see why this film was shelved, because aside from the casting of Heard in the leading role, there is nothing much inventive or impressive about Jonathan Levine’s film. It simply utilizes the popular slasher narrative of a group of partying teens in a remote area, each picked off until the final cause of the deaths is revealed. There is an adequate amount of violence, though none feels altogether inspired.

 

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Blu-ray Review

Actors: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Kevin Zegers, Lena Headey

Director: Harald Zwart

Format: Multiple Formats

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: December 3, 2013

Run Time: 130 minutes

 

 

        Anytime there is a surprise success in the film world, it is followed up with endless duplicates and imitations. We can expect these to be of lesser quality than the original, and this does not bode well for any of the countless films following the Twilight franchise. Those movies were atrocious, and the first (but, unfortunately, not the last) installment of The Mortal Instruments somehow manages to be even worse.   

 

        The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is based on yet another young adult book franchise which fulfills the popular fantasy and romance elements in a way that is far from inspired. There is a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), who is actually half angel with the ability to see demons others cannot. This narrative is used in nearly every popular young adult novel which has been adapted to film, from Twilight to Ender’s Game, simply infusing an ordinary protagonist with the ability to quickly surpass their elders in every facet. This teen fantasy element is paired with another familiar plot contrivance; the love triangle.

 

Wrong Cops Premiere Coverage

 

        This past Wednesday evening I was invited to attend the premiere of Wrong Cops at The Vista Theater in Los Angeles, a perfect off-Hollywood site for the opening of a film teetering on the outskirts of mainstream cinema. I’m not sure if there is a name for this new sub-genre of extreme comedic irreverence in independent films, but writer/director Quentin Dupieux is a pioneer of the movement. These films feel like a marriage between David Lynch and Jared Hess, what might happen if the random carnage and dreamlike narrative were to take place in a world of awkward character actors. He got up in front of the audience to introduce the film, apologizing for the scenes being out of focus, humorously explaining that it was “almost on purpose.”

 

Ray Wise, Quentin Dupieux, Eric Wareheim,  Mark Burnham, Arden Myrin, Marilyn Manson

Wrong Cops is the latest feature from Dupieux, following his cult hit Rubber in 2010, and the similarly titled Wrong from 2012. Despite the similarities in titles, Wrong Cops is not a sequel to Wrong, despite a brief cameo from Dolph Springer (Jack Plotnick) and his dog. Plotnick is only one of many surprises in the ensemble casting of Wrong Cops, many of which were able to make it out for the celebration on Wednesday evening.

 

Giveaway Contest: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Blu-ray Combo Pack

 

Join the Quest of a Lifetime, Packed with an

All-New Motion Comic and Collectible Cards, on 3D Blu-ray

Deluxe Edition December 17 and Digital HD™ December 3

 

 

Synopsis

The magical, mythical adventures of teenager Percy Jackson — son of the Greek god Poseidon — continue in this heroic, action-packed thrill ride!  Out to prove he’s not just a “one-quest wonder,” Percy and his demigod friends embark on an epic, cross-country journey into the treacherous Sea of Monsters, where they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate evil. With time running out, Percy must find and bring home the fabled Golden Fleece, which has the power to save his world...and save us all!

Angels’ Share DVD Review

     Actors: Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw

Director: Ken Loach

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: December 10, 2013

Run Time: 101 minutes

 

 

        Kitchen sink realism has been a staple of filmmaking for Ken Loach’s impressive career as a director, most notably with the coming-of-age film, Kes. That realism has been carried over into his latest dramedy, Angels’ Share. What starts as a somewhat lighthearted drama about the struggles working-class life in the United Kingdom eventually turns into a heist film which is part comedy of errors. The manner in which the comedy and drama blend together without ever overpowering each other is the mark of a truly gifted filmmaker, making Angels’ Share far more engaging than your typical comedy and more entertaining than the average drama.

 

        The film’s protagonist is a former thug named Robbie (Paul Brannigan), who is attempting a life without crime due to the pregnancy of his girlfriend. Preparing to be a father leaves Robbie with a new outlook on life, though that does little to get rid of the trouble which has already wormed its way into his life. With the help of a kindly supervisor while doing his community service, Robbie becomes interested in the world of whiskey tasting. Along with three fellow social miscreants, Mo, Albert and Rhino, Robbie learns as much as he can about the distilling of whiskey.

 

Berberian Sound Studio DVD Review

     Actor: Toby Jones

Director: Peter Strickland

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: December 10, 2013

Run Time: 92 minutes

 

 

        Peter Strickland’s Berberian Sound Studio is a masterpiece in style and direction, which makes it so disappointing to find the third act such a failure in storytelling. It almost seems as though there was nowhere left to go with the film, instead trailing off into unmemorable David Lynch imitations. Yet even when the film is repetitious and dealing with an uninspired narrative flow, Strickland’s direction is able to carry each scene to the next despite the inconsistency of the whole.

 

        Employing an Englishman abroad fish-out-of-water narrative, the quiet sound engineer Gilderoy (Toby Jones) takes a job in Rome working on the soundtrack to a film called The Equestrian Vortex. Though he doesn’t speak Italian, we get the impression that he understands much of what the others are saying around him. Sound doesn’t just play a large part in the story; it is the most important part of the film in every aspect. We are never permitted to see the violent images of the horror movie Gilderoy is working on, instead limited to the images and the sounds utilized in the engineering of a soundtrack. There is a lot of stabbing and smashing of food in order to simulate the torture and killing in the movie, which begins to decay as time passes. The only other indicator we have to the gruesome nature of the film is the reactions coming from Gilderoy as he is forced to endure the images.

 

Sightseers DVD Review

      Actors: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram

Director: Ben Wheatley

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

DVD Release Date: December 10, 2013

Run Time: 88 minutes

 

 

        The relentlessly bleak nature of the violence in Ben Wheatley’s Kill List made it a difficult film to enjoy, which may explain the filmmaker’s choice to go for a more comic edge in his latest film, Sightseers. There is still a large amount of violence and gore, though it is boldly applied in a darkly comic manner. Blending a road trip narrative with a serial killer storyline, this is something like Arthur Newman meets Natural Born Killers.

 

        Chris (Steve Oram) has a plan to take his new girlfriend on a vacation in a motor home. Tina (Alice Lowe) has been something of a recluse ever since a tragic accident with her dog, and it has left her somewhat unhinged. Road trips and vacations with new couples can often be eye-opening, revealing truths previous able to be hidden, and this can destroy a relationship which is not stable enough to withstand this trial-by-fire. This is the case with Chris and Tina, who have only been dating for a few months. This is not long enough for Tina to discover that Chris is a serial killer with specific targets of poor social etiquette.

 

Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus Blu-ray Review

 

Actors: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffmann

Director: Sebastián Silva

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: November 19, 2013

Run Time: 99 minutes

 

       

        It is quite clear that a majority of the dialogue in Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus (and 2012) is improvised, but that is not necessarily a fault. Each of the actors embody the characters so unabashedly that they feel sincere in their actions even when the film feels a bit contrived, such as the film’s emotional climactic close. Based on writer/director Sebastián Silva’s own experience with a San Pedro cactus and woman named Crystal Fairy, there is a realism in the narrative which often defies any structure or clear message. These are simply very different people who come together over the hallucinogenic trip to the beach.  

 

        Michael Cera heads up the cast as obnoxious American expatriate Jamie (Michael Cera), whose personality often seems to grate on those closest to him. When Jamie runs into a free-spirited American at a party named Crystal Fairy (Gaby Hoffman), he impulsively invites her on a road trip with him and the three Chile friends that put up with him. Crystal Fairy is a completely different personality type from the snarky and condescending Jamie, and much of the film is a quiet battle between these two strong personality types in an otherwise passive group of people. Are these the two personalities that Chile thinks of as American? Either way, it makes for an engaging road trip film with clashing personality types.

 

Impractical Jokers: The Complete First Season DVD Review

Number of discs: 2
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: November 26, 2013
Run Time: 374 minutes

 

 

        I was a bit of a troublemaker when I was younger, mostly due to my overactive imagination and the inability to remain bored. When my physical situation is dull, I find my mind compensating with creative inspiration of endless amusement and less than traditional amusement. In other words, I would have fit right in with the guys of Impractical Jokers, despite the fact that they are fully grown and still amusing themselves through immature methods. The adult in me is somewhat embarrassed for these four grown men, while the kid in me is simply jealous of their job.

 

        The premise of the show is creative and unique, but at its barest essence “Impractical Jokers” is simply a hidden camera show which cares much more about the embarrassment of those aware of the cameras than the revelation that these unsuspecting people are being filmed. There isn’t even a ‘reveal’ section of the show, where we would typically see the victim’s reactions when they discover that they are on a television show. The dynamic lies far more with the four friends participating.

 

The Canyons Blu-ray Review

Actors: Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Funk, Amanda Brooks, Tenille Houston

Director: Paul Schrader

Writers: Bret Easton Ellis

Producers: Braxton Pope

Format: Blu-ray, Director's Cut, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO

Release Date: November 26, 2013

Run Time: 100 minutes

 

 

        I enjoyed the article about the making of this film far more than I did the movie itself. It isn’t as bad as you might imagine, but it also isn’t good. It isn’t even as shocking as it may have you believe, other than Paul Schrader's willingness to show a semi-erect penis in the background. Lindsay Lohan shows nothing more than you would expect to see in her Playboy shoot, appearing more desperate than sexy in the role of Tara. Basically, this movie is just a waste of time which has garnered a small amount of attention due to casting choices, none of which are actually interesting in the actual film itself. We were all interested in the fact that Lindsay Lohan was doing this movie out of the same curiosity that drives motorists to leer at a bad car crash, but in the end The Canyons feels like sitting through two hours of traffic only to find a stalled car blocking the path.

 

        Author and screenwriter Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction) joined forces with Paul Schrader (writer of Taxi Driver and director of American Gigolo) to create this modern day attempt at campy cult classic. Nobody wanted to finance the film, so they made it themselves by selling things and scraping together just enough money to make this look a little better than soft-core porn. Lohan’s horrid reputation made her suitable only co-starring with a real-life porn star. James Deen is truly the star of the film, though that is not necessarily a compliment as much as it is a fact. He plays Christian, a manipulative movie producer who discovers his girlfriend once had a relationship with the leading actor of his upcoming project.

 

Fast & Furious 6 Blu-ray Review

Actors: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster

Director: Justin Lin

Writers: Chris Morgan

Producers: Vin Diesel, Neal H. Moritz, Clayton Townsend

Format: Color, Widescreen

Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Universal Studios

Blu-ray Release Date: December 10, 2013

 

 

        This was supposed to be the last film of the Fast and Furious franchise; the real last film amongst what seemed many. The only problem came down to a timing issue for Actor Jason Statham, who was set to play the final villain. When he was unable to film this one this franchise set up for Fast and the Furious 7, boasting even more cast members in the already impressive ensemble. With the early departure of Paul Walker, the film franchise’s main protagonist from film one, the last film’s future looks uncertain. Fast and the Furious 6 is not a masterpiece, but it is a solid action film from the initial racing premise, only slightly less exciting than Fast Five. 

 

        Two films prior had seen the demise of Michelle Rodriguez’s character, Letty, who suddenly comes back from the dead with a case of amnesia in Fast and the Furious 6. This revelation brings the whole gang back into action, in pursuit of a mastermind criminal (Luke Evans) leading a team of mercenaries on a mission to steal a top secret weapon. Teaming up with the government officer previously hunting them (Dwayne Johnson), Dom (Vin Diesel) and his team of criminally good drivers set out on a mission to take down this deadly enemy. 

 

Paranoia Blu-ray Review

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Blu-ray Release Date: November 19, 2013

Run Time: 90 minutes

 

 

        Paranoia boasts an impressive cast, perfectly balanced with both veteran actors and young stars. Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford carry each scene they are in, while Liam Hemsworth and Amber Heard are pretty to look at while the real actors perform. In the end, however, it is all cancelled out by an uninteresting script that hardly has enough thrills to qualify this as a thriller. Only a twelve-year-old would think this film is intelligent, and the rest of us are just bored. It fits in perfectly as a double feature with Brian De Palma’s equally unimpressive Passion.

 

        Based on the best-selling novel by Joseph Finder, Paranoia is a cat-and-mouse thriller in the business world, and Adam Cassidy (Hemsworth) is the mouse stuck between two deadly feline aggressors. Cassidy works as a lowly employee at a powerful technology corporation dealing primarily with cell phones, but even that job is threatened because of the way he thinks outside of the box. When his boss Nicolas Wyatt (Oldman) fires him, it comes with an interesting offer of espionage. Blackmailed into working for the competition in order to steal their trade secrets, Cassidy finds himself working for another business tycoon; Jock Goddard (Ford).