Tag: robert forster

SXSW Movie Reviews: Small Town Crime

by MCDave

One of the greatest perks to attending the SXSW festival is having the opportunity to view world premieres of films. One such example is the comedic thriller, Small Town Crime, from the minds of California-born sibling writers and directors, Eshom and Ian Nelms. The film bridges a taut story with immense acting talent, namely Academy Award Winner Octavia Spencer and the Oscar-nominated SXSW favorite, John Hawkes, to create a uniquely pleasant movie experience.

An alcoholic ex-cop (Hawkes) awakes in the middle of a field after an evening of binge-drinking and somehow avoiding a DUI. As he climbs back into his car and begins driving away, he soon discovers the body of a pretty young woman on the side of the road. The man’s former police instincts take charge as he dives deep into an unauthorized investigation of the girl’s murder that uncovers a small-town secret which puts him and his adopted sister’s family (Octavia Spencer) in grave danger.

Brothers Eshom and Ian Nelms craft an amusing and suspenseful tale that satisfies on many levels. Channeling their inner Coen brothers, the siblings utilize moments of comedic levity to fill the gaps between a remarkably-paced game of cat & mouse. Veteran performer John Hawkes has always been a personal favorite of mine, and once again he offers a multi-dimensional lead character that resonates with the audience. He’s certainly flawed, but his passion and overall kind-nature help form an instant bond between him and the viewer. Joining Hawkes is the always capable Octavia Spencer who also puts her emotional prowess on full display. It would be unjust to ignore some other fantastic supporting turns which come from Robert Forster, Anthony Anderson and Clifton Collins Jr., all of whom infuse a heavy dose of humor that adds a vital element to the film. Small Town Crown checks-off nearly all the boxes and unfolds as a well-scripted and superbly-told thriller that stands as one of SXSW’s finest offerings this year.

GRADE: 4/5

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Check Out This 20th Anniversary Tarantino Blu-Ray Collection: ‘Tarantino XX’

by Shane O'Hare

So the cult director Quentin Tarantino is celebrating his 20th year in film making. With that Miramax is releasing a special edition Blu-Ray set of 8 films. From the press release.

Tarantino XX contains eight films chosen by Tarantino to illustrate the first 20 years of his career, featuring the films that helped define his early success, including Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds.  To complete the stunning high definition 10-disc set, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection also features two discs with five hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by a critics’ retrospective on Tarantino’s groundbreaking catalog of films and  “20 Years of Filmmaking” that contains interviews with critics, stars and other masters of cinema.

Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection showcases one of the most innovative filmmakers of our time and is a must-have for serious film fans, as Tarantino’s highly-anticipated new film, Django Unchained, prepares to hit theaters.  Honoring the 20th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs – the cultural milestone that brought Tarantino to the forefront as a cinematic legend – the collection is highlighted by recurring appearances from celebrated actors including Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill), Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), and also includes starring performances from iconic actors such as Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown).

So to give you a nice TL;DR the movies that will be featured in this set are

  • Reservoir Dogs
  • True Romance – Directors Cut
  • Pulp Fiction
  • Jackie Brown
  • Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
  • Death Proof
  • Inglourious Basterds

There will also be 2 special edition discs that have various documentaries on the director.

“How much?” you ask, in your best Borat impression. Well you can get this big ole stack of films for an MSRP of $119.99 and it comes out November 20th. Another cool bit of this announcement is that Mondo have designed the packaging and given nice new covers for each film! If you want to read the full press release and get more details on each film release check it out HERE!