The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, is easily the most anticipated film of the year. The film’s arrival has, however, been preceded by several controversies not the least of which were accusations of animal cruelty on the set, something Peter Jackson has vehemently denied. Controversy surrounding the film itself began with the fact that
Read moreWe’re back for another year and in the first Built For Speed of 2013 we’ll be reviewing the most anticipated film of the last 12 months, The Hobbit. We’ll also take a look at animated video game adventure comedy Wreck It Ralph. Also, 2013 marks 45 years since the release of the Beatles’ White album and we’ll be featuring that massively influential
Read moreThe problem with many film musicals is that, removed from the artificial world of the stage, the site of people bursting into song seems ridiculous. This becomes a bigger problem when the film goes for a gritty, realistic look as opposed to the deliberately staged look of the classic film musicals from the 1940’s and 50’s. Les Miserables, a screen
Read moreDespite the similar name, the 3D animated fantasy Rise of the Guardians has nothing to do with the film from a couple of years ago Legend of the Guardians: the owls of Ga’hoole. Rise is based on the Guardians of Childhood novels by William Joyce rather than the Ga’hoole stories by Kathryn Lansky. Like Shrek and Who Framed Roger Rabbit,
Read moreThe offbeat French rom-com Paris Manhattan is the debut feature for writer/director Sophie Lellouche. Despite its soufflé-light story the film manages to eschew much of the cheesiness normally associated with rom coms particularly those from Hollywood. The film stars Alice Taglioni as a pharmacist also named Alice who, despite being in her 30’s and looking only a few airbrushes away
Read moreBaseball films have a unique place within the sports film genre as they seem to embody American culture and mythology like no other. Even for those who don’t like the sport itself, baseball films seem to have at least some sort of folksy appeal. So it is with Clint Eastwood’s latest film (this time just as an actor) Trouble with
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