I'm heading out of town for some
Cosmic Love
(and
iPad
road-testing).
2 Days ago
Don't wait until my end of year list to hear about the amazing debut album from
@frazeyford
(ex.
Be Good Tanyas
). So folking good.
#
"Recorded during a blissful Vancouver summer, "Obadiah" is a collection of songs hand-carved by the hardships and exaltations of life, and stained with the rich colors of soul and folk music that fueled artists like Joni Mitchell, Ann Peebles, Neil Young, and Donny Hathaway."
Check it out on
Amazon
.
4 Days ago
Inception
(2010)
The first major feature film from Christopher Nolan in which he has both written and directed has landed at #3 in the IMDb Top 250 in the first two weeks of release - echoing his prior success with The Dark Knight. An incredible feat regardless of whether it is deserved. I loved the cast, the unconventional plot which was challenging without being too difficult to follow, and of course the mind-melting effects. But this gravity defying film carries no weight. At some point Nolan made the choice to sacrifice the kind of character depth that made Memento a success, in favour of a convoluted plot, all too cliche action sequences, and a cheap-trick finale.
Recommended
Director:
Christopher Nolan
Genres:
Action | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller See »
Languages:
English | Japanese
Runtime:
148 min
Plot:
In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job till date, Inception. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
9.3
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
5 Days ago
Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
(2009)
The first of the trilogy based on Stieg Larsson’s best selling books is another in a string of great foreign thrillers to come along in the past few years. While I’m never going to be able to identify with a character like Lisbeth and the feminist subtext of the film, I can still appreciate a damn good thriller, even the ones with flaws. I really hope the David Fincher helmed US remake will stick a bit closer to the book in regard to Lisbeth’s motivations in the case, but otherwise I’m all in favour of a revisit of these characters.
Recommended
Director:
Niels Arden Oplev
Genres:
Crime | Mystery | Thriller See »
Languages:
Swedish | English
Runtime:
152 min | Sweden:180 min (extended version)
Plot:
A journalist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing -- or dead -- for forty years by a young female hacker. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.7
|
MetaCritic Score:
76
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5 Days ago
Mammoth
(2009)
Lukas Moodysson (Lilja 4-ever) offers up another thought provoking piece of cinema - this time with some heavyweight star support from Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams (unfortunately not the best performances of either careers). The themes of this films stuck with me for days after viewing and I was quite affected by the way it attacks globalization and capitalism in such a legitimate way. The fatalistic exploration of the direction we are all heading is disturbing - we are out of balance and the only solution is to hold the course? Or maybe I am giving this film too much credit - whatever the case, it is a beautifully directed guilt-trip.
Average
Director:
Lukas Moodysson
Genres:
Drama See »
Languages:
English | Tagalog | Thai
Runtime:
USA:125 min
Plot:
While on a trip to Thailand, a successful American businessman tries to radically change his life. Back in New York, his wife and daughter find their relationship with their live-in Filipino maid changing around them. At the same time, in the Philippines, the maid's family struggles to deal with her absence. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
6.9
|
MetaCritic Score:
51
+ EXPAND
5 Days ago
Twilight
(2008)
So this overwrought teen drama that I never thought I would be able to stomach turned out to be completely watchable. But also juvenile garbage. Just how the mass market likes it.
Average
Director:
Catherine Hardwicke
Genres:
Drama | Fantasy | Romance See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
div class="info-content">122 min
Plot:
A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
5.7
|
MetaCritic Score:
56
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5 Days ago
Ong Bak 2
(2008)
Tony Jaa delivers another round of stunningly choreographed fight scenes. As expected the story isn’t up to much and most of the characters are so badly under developed that following the general thread can be difficult at times. But when it’s good it’s really good - even if it doesn’t know whether to take itself seriously or fall into parody.
Average
Director:
Tony Jaa, Panna Rittikrai
Genres:
Action See »
Languages:
Thai
Runtime:
div class="info-content">98 min | Germany:110 min (European Film Market)
Plot:
A young Thai boxer learns the skills and inner meaning of martial arts. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
6.3
|
MetaCritic Score:
47
+ EXPAND
5 Days ago
I'm not saying Inception messes with your mind. But I just drove home from the theatre, and for a brief moment forgot where I lived.
#
8 Days ago
Local band Glass Vaults debut EP is an Animal Collectivesque gem ('cept I like these guys).
Free download!
#
21 Days ago
"Lindsay Lohan is forever - not just Christmas or Awards Season" - Nice line from Hamish and Andy
#
21 Days ago
Toy Story 3D
(2010)
The most accomplished Pixar film yet. I went in with the highest of expectations and these were met on every front. To succeed, it had to be more - and how it did this is with honest emotions and values - not sight gags and gimmicks. Much like the first two in the trilogy, the story takes you on a journey with not even a hint of the destination. There were noticeably less laughs in the cinema that then other two (which I also revisited this year in 3D) but it didn't need them. It's proof you can still do intelligent and original filmmaking that appeals to the widest audience. So good was this film that I wonder if Pixar possibly have another film this good in them?
Essential
Director:
Lee Unkrich
Genres:
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy See »
Languages:
English | Spanish
Runtime:
div class="info-content">103 min
Plot:
Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
9.1
|
MetaCritic Score:
91
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27 Days ago
Away We Go
(2009)
Well this is certainly the end of my interest in Maggie Gyllenhaal. But that's hardly much of a review. There's of lot of great ideas explored here by director Sam Mendes - at its simplest this is a mid-30s couple trying to find their place, both literally and figuratively. What's great is that the attempt is an honest and bittersweet look at becoming an adult and the concept of starting a family. Where it lacks is that the the two leads are so emotionally numb that the result is both uninteresting and soulless.
Average
Director:
Sam Mendes
Genres:
Comedy | Drama | Romance See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
div class="info-content">USA:98 min | Argentina:98 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)
Plot:
A couple who is expecting their first child travel around the U.S. in order to find a perfect place to start their family. Along the way, they have misadventures and find fresh connections with an assortment of relatives and old friends who just might help them discover "home" on their own terms for the first time. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.3
|
MetaCritic Score:
58
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27 Days ago
I only wish Michael Jackson had lived long enough to bid on that auction of Marilyn Monroe's chest and pelvis X-rays.
#
31 Days ago
So now I need a t-shirt that says "I was a Laura Marling fan before she collaborated with Jack White".
#
31 Days ago
Shutter Island
(2010)
Two U.S. marshals are mysteriously summoned to a remote island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate a disappearance at a hospital for the criminally insane. Great synopsis. This is Scorcese recreating the true feel of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema with a stunning noir narrative style and . Total class, so vivid, so deliberate and a level of tension under tight control at the hands of a master. This is not just the best of the Scorsese/DiCaprio quadrilogy - it’s one of the best thrillers in years.
Essential
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Genres:
Drama | Mystery | Thriller See »
Languages:
English | German
Runtime:
138 min
Plot:
Drama set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island. Full summary » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
8.0
|
MetaCritic Score:
63
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41 Days ago
The Hit
(1984)
There’s not a lot of plot to get in the way of what is not just one of the best road movies I’ve seen, but also one of the best British gangster flicks. It’s ultra cool crime drama with a trip across Spain, hitmen tracking down a supergrass, a kidnapping, and occasional brutality. Great performances - Tim Roth in his first feature film is a real standout - Terence Stamp and John Hurt are also strong. A sparse soundtrack from Eric Clapton and Roger Waters adds to the tone. It wasn’t a hit for director Stephen Frears upon release, but its one of those rare films from the eighties that gets better with age.
Recommended
Director:
Stephen Frears
Genres:
Crime | Drama | Thriller See »
Languages:
English | Spanish
Runtime:
div class="info-content">98 min
Plot:
Ex-gangster Willie Parker has betrayed his former "colleagues" and now lives in Spain where he thinks he can hide from their vengeance... See more » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.0
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
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41 Days ago
The McVeigh Tapes: Confessions of an American Terrorist
(2010)
Nine years after his execution for the Oklahoma City bombing, this MSNBC investigative feature draws from 45 hours of audio tapes of McVeigh himself to give an account of his life and the events leading up to the mass murder. There has likely never been a better examination of the mind of a terrorist than is presented here - McVeigh is unsympathetic and completely candid about his motives. There is (thankfully) not a lot of liberal slant to the telling of the events and the focus is largely on McVeigh and the socio-political conditions that influcenced him.
Recommended
Director:
Genres:
Languages:
English
Runtime:
Plot:
(Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.0
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
41 Days ago
Micmacs
(2009)
A long awaited new film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet - described by the man himself as Delicatessen meets Amélie. While Jeunet’s films are always visually ‘busy’ this latest effort has the most packed into it - combined with a tangled vigilante plot which seems needlessly elaborate. It will take a repeat viewing to fully comprehend but as expected the attention to detail alone makes this recommended viewing.
Recommended
Director:
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Genres:
Comedy | Crime See »
Languages:
French
Runtime:
105 min
Plot:
A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers. | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.3
|
MetaCritic Score:
62
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41 Days ago
Kick-Ass
(2010)
I’m really not in the target audience for this latest graphic novel adapted super-hero franchise. It’s a fun concept - an average teen/geek donning a costume and fighting crime - but doesn’t rise much above other offerings in this genre. It’s well choreographed entertainment, but the satire never reaches its potential, at which point things just descend into a generic shooting match.
Average
Director:
Matthew Vaughn
Genres:
Action | Crime | Thriller See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
div class="info-content">117 min
Plot:
Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
8.2
|
MetaCritic Score:
66
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41 Days ago
The top rated film on IMDb is The Shawshank Redemption at 9.1. Toy Story 3 is currently sitting at 9.5! Prepare for the inevitable.
#
41 Days ago
Crowded House play Moonage Daydream
with Johnny Marr & Connan Mockasin
#
51 Days ago
The
highest rated
film of 2010 by Metacritic is available as a free download
http://sitasingstheblues.com
. ps. It's awesome.
#
61 Days ago
Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows)
(2008)
A man is faced with new challenges after losing his job on an ostrich farm and must venture out from his rural village to Tehran in order to make a living and restore harmony to his family life. This is outstanding World Cinema from Iranian director Majid Majidi. Told with humour and heart, we struggle along with a man who will never get a break in life - loses his sense of direction - but finds redemption through the people close to him. A beautifully shot film that will give you an unexpected insight into the values and community of modern Iran and the coexistence of urban and rural life.
Essential
Director:
Majid Majidi
Genres:
Drama See »
Languages:
Persian
Runtime:
Germany:96 min (Berlin International Film Festival) | USA:96 min
Plot:
When an ostrich-rancher focuses on replacing his daughter's hearing aid, which breaks right before crucial exams... See more » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.7
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
63 Days ago
Iron Man 2
(2010)
A largely forgettable sequel that takes everything fun and intelligent about the first film and replaces it with an absurd plot, irrelevant and confusing character distractions and redundant action sequences (sounds like a replay of my thoughts on Transformers 2). Mickey Rourke’s fitting performance makes the best of it, and there is much entertainment, but when the credits roll it’s just another wasted opportunity.
Average
Director:
Jon Favreau
Genres:
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller See »
Languages:
English | Russian
Runtime:
124 min
Plot:
Billionaire Tony Stark must contend with deadly issues involving the government, his own friends, as well as new enemies due to his superhero alter ego Iron Man. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.5
|
MetaCritic Score:
57
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63 Days ago
Boy
(2010)
It’s no surprise to me that a waggish tale of a young boy growing up in the 80s has become the highest grossing local film ever. It’s a coming-of-age dramedy with sense of humour that succeeds in becoming more homage than cultural cringe. The real standout is the re-imagined nostalgia from director Taika Cohen’s own childhood - it easily makes up for weaknesses in the story and some of the acting performances.
Recommended
Director:
Taika Cohen
Genres:
Comedy | Drama
Languages:
English
Runtime:
87 min
Plot:
It's 1984, and Michael Jackson is king-even in Waihau Bay, New Zealand. Here we meet Boy, an 11-year-old who lives on a farm with his gran... See more » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
8.4
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
63 Days ago
Best news of the day: After a 7 year break, David Bowie is working on his 25th (or 42nd?) studio album (via
@twentyfourbit
)
#
67 Days ago
Draw a line through 2010. There is emptiness ... then there is the moment you first heard
Gayngs
#
"
Gayngs
is a Midwestern indie band with a 1980s soft rock-inspired sound. Founded by Ryan Olson, the group consists of 23 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Rhymesayers rapper P.O.S, and members of Solid Gold." - Wikipedia
71 Days ago
Chop Shop
(2007)
This is the age of American neorealism in cinema and Chop Shop was part of this revival. We follow an ambitious and streetwise Latino orphan as he works and lives in an auto-body shop on the outskirts of Queens, New York. It’s a gritty social portrait that feels so real you almost expect the actors to start talking to the camera. Roger Ebert rated it the sixth best film of the decade - an honour that is more than earned. Director Ramin Bahrani followed this up with the also brilliant Goodbye Solo in 2008.
Essential
Director:
Ramin Bahrani
Genres:
Languages:
English
Runtime:
USA:84 min
Plot:
Alejandro, a tough and ambitious Latino street orphan on the verge of adolescence, lives and works in an auto-body repair shop in a sprawling junkyard on the outskirts of Queens, New York. In this chaotic world of adults, young Alejandro struggles to make a better life for himself and his 16-year-old sister, Isamar. | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.2
|
MetaCritic Score:
83
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79 Days ago
Bikur Ha-Tizmoret (The Band’s Visit)
(2007)
A great premise - an Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center and find themselves lost in the wrong town. It’s a low-key cross-cultural relations film with beautiful depth and none of the cliches that can plague a story of this nature.
Recommended
Director:
Eran Kolirin
Genres:
Comedy | Drama | Music See »
Languages:
English | Arabic | Hebrew
Runtime:
87 min
Plot:
A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town. Full summary » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
7.6
|
MetaCritic Score:
80
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79 Days ago
Charlie & Boots
(2009)
Quite adequately described as a great Aussie road movie with Crocodile Dundee and ‘that guy who played Kenny’ (Shane Jacobson). I think the older generation will get a kick out of this - it has its moments - and then there are other times when it feel like it was sponsored by the Australian Tourism Board.
Average
Director:
Dean Murphy
Genres:
Adventure | Comedy | Drama See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
101 min
Plot:
A father and son who travel from Victoria to Cape York to fulfill their lifelong ambition to fish off Australia's northern tip. | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
6.2
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
79 Days ago
Cocaine Cowboys
(2006)
While not having the sharpest production values, this documentary exploring the drug trade in Miami during the 80s is astounding in the depth of insight uncovered. The audacity of these real life drug barons and the social and economic impact on Florida are exposed through colourful interviews with the people involved recalling just how crazy things got.
Recommended
Director:
Billy Corben
Genres:
Documentary | Crime See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
118 min | USA:116 min (short version)
Plot:
In the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in this country since Prohibition-era Chicago... See more » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
8.0
|
MetaCritic Score:
59
+ EXPAND
79 Days ago
UK Election decision maker -
whoshouldyouvotefor.com
My results:
1. Green
2. UK Independence
3. Liberal Democrat
#
91 Days ago
Has anyone heard from Sean Penn since he went to visit that volcano in Iceland to educate it on socialism?
#
91 Days ago
Fish Tank
(2009)
Director Andrea Arnold follows up the equally bleak Red Road with another grimly realistic portrait of life in housing-estate Essex. In this Loach-esque coming-of-age tale we follow a young girl as she tries to find a path through her socially dysfunctional family environment and pressures of finding a meaningful existence. A great film of the times and did well to claim the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film in recognition.
Essential
Director:
Andrea Arnold
Genres:
Drama See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
123 min
Plot:
Everything changes for 15yr old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend. Full summary » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
Fish Tank (2009)
IMDb Rating:
7.6
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
100 Days ago
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
(2008)
One of the best music band documentaries you are likely to watch. Anvil follows the band hailed as the demi-gods of Canadian metal - borne of the late 70’s and never quite made it big due largely to their lack of songwriting talent rather than the enormous amount of passion they put into their craft. We go on a disastrous tour with them around Europe and see the strain of recording a new album as it breaks them on so many occasions. Is it ok to laugh at the broken dreams of these men in their fifties who lack self awareness and have sacrificed so much to follow a dream they don’t seemed destined to achieve? I think the what-happens-next aspect of this doco ensures a lasting feel good vibe.
Recommended
Director:
Sacha Gervasi
Genres:
Documentary | Biography | Music See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
80 min
Plot:
At 14, best friends Robb Reiner and Lips made a pact to rock together forever. Their band, Anvil, hailed as the "demi-gods of Canadian metal... See more » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
Get Thrashed (2006)
IMDb Rating:
8.1
|
MetaCritic Score:
82
+ EXPAND
100 Days ago
The Proposal
(2009)
It’s open slather for using Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock as an excuse to watch obviously lightweight chickflicks such as this. Or maybe I’m just a big Mary Steenburgen fan. Either way you get what you expect in this role-reversal romcom about at high-powered book editor and her assistant played by Ryan Reynolds.
Average
Director:
Anne Fletcher
Genres:
Comedy | Drama | Romance See »
Languages:
English
Runtime:
108 min
Plot:
A pushy boss forces her young assistant to marry her in order to keep her Visa status in the U.S. and avoid deportation to Canada. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
The Proposal (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition + Digital Copy) (2009)
IMDb Rating:
6.8
|
MetaCritic Score:
48
+ EXPAND
100 Days ago
The Messenger
(2009)
Treading a similar ground as The Hurt Locker, in this Middle East war fallout film Woody Harrelson stars as an officer who partners up with another young officer to inform families of fallen soldiers of their bad news. The subject matter is handled respectfully and is well acted, though at times feels like a collection of emotions rather than a story that goes anywhere.
Recommended
Director:
Oren Moverman
Genres:
Drama | Romance | War See »
Languages:
English | Spanish
Runtime:
Germany:105 min (Berlin International Film Festival) | USA:112 min
Plot:
An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer. Full summary » | Add synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
The Messenger (2010)
IMDb Rating:
7.5
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
+ EXPAND
100 Days ago
The highest ranked 2010 film on the IMDb Top 250 is currently
Kick-Ass
from director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake)
#
103 Days ago
El secreto de sus ojos
(2009)
The surprise winner for Best Foreign Language film at this year’s Oscars (Michael Haneke may feel slightly robbed). It’s a real gem of a thriller from Argentina about a retired court employee who can’t shake the memory of one case and decides to revisit the events. It’s not a perfect film but I grade it essential viewing for two reasons - this is world class cinema from Argentina, and there is a single-take chase sequence in a stadium that will be studied in film schools for many years to come. There is nothing more certain than an American remake will eventuate - it might even be a great one.
Essential
Director:
Juan José Campanella
Genres:
Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller See »
Languages:
Spanish
Runtime:
127 min
Plot:
A man wants to solve a murder committed many years ago. | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
El Secreto de Sus Ojos (2010)
IMDb Rating:
8.4
|
MetaCritic Score:
na
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128 Days ago
Duplicity
(2009)
When a film boast of a clever twisty tale with cracking dialogue and one-upmanship I go in expecting David Mamet grade shenanigans. That’s not quite what Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Trilomogology) was serving up here. I feel like even if I had it explained to me, I still wouldn’t find Julia Roberts' and Clive Owen’s strange fuedings interesting. There are moments of spark but it’s too clever for its own good.
Average
Director:
Tony Gilroy
Genres:
Romance | Thriller See »
Languages:
English | Spanish | Russian | German
Runtime:
125 min | Turkey:118 min
Plot:
A pair of corporate spies who share a steamy past hook up to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses. Full summary » | Full synopsis » (Source: IMDb)
Amazon:
IMDb Rating:
6.4
|
MetaCritic Score:
69
+ EXPAND
128 Days ago