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You may have heard on the last episode that we were planning on moving from Blogspot to Wordpress. Well, yeah, we're definitely doing that. I'm working on it at this very moment so if you want to read more of my reviews and articles or listen to more episodes of the podcast, you can move to the Wordpress account.

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Thanks to the 10 or 12 of you that follow our little blog. We love you all...especially you, Barnaby.

Looper Movie Review

[Looper
Written & Directed by Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt
MPAA: R - For Strong Violence, Language, Some Sexuality/Nudity, and Drug Content] 

What Makes Spec-Ops: The Line So Revolutionary

[Warning: The following analysis contains some mild spoilers. While you can still safely read this analysis without having played the game and still be surprised by its main twists and turns when you do decide to play it, there are still some things that I give away, most notably its message. So while it's not required that you play Spec-Ops: The Line before delving into this analysis, it's still recommended that you play through it first. Not just so you could read this post, but because it's an incredible, underrated game that should be experienced by anyone that thinks of the medium as an art form.]

2012 was a very interesting year for video games. Between fanboys complaining about Mass Effect 3's ending, games like The Secret World and Guild Wars 2 redefining the MMORPG, and tons of the usual independent works continuing to dominate Steam and XBLA/PSN and introduce stunning new visions, there's been a lot of incredibly fascinating stuff throughout this year to compensate for the boredom of waiting for the big games to come out, and the disappointment of many delays. 

There was so much interesting things, in fact, that I found there to be three games that I felt really did incredibly revolutionary things to the medium. Two of them, you most definitely heard of. One is a mainstream blockbuster and the end of a beloved trilogy, the other an astoundingly experimental indie game that was formed from a mod. Both have received tons of acclaim. However, there is a third game that I feel hasn't gotten enough attention from the gaming populace, which is especially undeserving because it is most likely to go down as one of the defining games of the medium 20 years from now.

I've decided to spotlight these three games and describe how each one offers something revolutionary and ground-breaking within this budding medium, starting with one of the most profoundly underrated games of this generation so far: Spec-Ops: The Line.

The Upstairs and Downstairs of The Cabin in the Woods

Cabin in the Woods is now out on Blu-Ray and DVD, meaning I finally have enough of a reason to splurge about it all over again without fear of spoiling people now that they all have a chance to see it. If you recall, I mentioned in my review that it was one of my favorite films of 2012, and it still is. However, due to the amount of secrets and surprises found in the film, I couldn't really explain "why" exactly it was so good without giving anything away. Well, now I can! Cue the maniacal laughter! This is my in-depth, insanely spoiler-filled analysis of Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods!

CinEffect Podcast Episode 2 - The Master, VHS, and Spec-Ops: The Line

Episode 2: The Master, V/H/S, and Spec-Ops: The Line

Subscribe via iTunes.

Long hiatus aside, we finally come back to look at Paul Thomas Anderson's much hyped The Master and analyze it's many dense themes and concepts. Along the way, we also channel surf through the horror anthology V/H/S, debate the moral ambiguity of Spec-Ops: The Line, and take a brief look at the charming downloadable Steam title Tiny & Big, which features magical underwear. Also: Chris's weird story about a double feature gone horribly wrong.

The Master Movie Review

[The Master
Written & Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hofman, and Amy Adams
MPAA: R - For Sexual Content, Graphic Nudity and Language] 

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective Part 5: There Will Be Blood

The Paul Thoms Anderson Retrospective concludes! Last time, I splurged about the stream-of-consciousness filmmaking techniques employed in Punch-Drunk Love. Now, we'll see Anderson, once again, going on a wildly different direction with his period-piece about oil tycoon Daniel Plainview: There Will Be Blood.

There will be spoilers in this There Will Be Blood analysis (heh), and I will go into some detail on the film's wild finale, so it's better suited if you've already seen the film (Which you should). If you haven't read the previous three installments of the retrospectives, you can do so by clicking these links for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Also, a variety of clips will be employed, so be sure to have a good connection to see them all. And fair warning to the squeamish: There is some violence in one of the clips. It's off-screen, yet somehow remains brutal due to the sound-effects and the terrifying look on Daniel Day-Lewis's face.

With all that being said, let's drink some milkshakes as we dive right into There Will Be Blood.

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective Part 4: Punch-Drunk Love

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective continues! Last time, we looked at the interlinking narratives that connected in Magnolia, Paul Thomas Anderson's biggest, most ambitious film. Today, though, we'll see him scale back to make the quirky, surrealist "rom-com" (If you can call it that) Punch-Drunk Love.

As usual, there will be spoilers in this analysis. Nothing major, like in the Magnolia and Boogie Nights pieces, but it's still recommended that you see the film first. So if you haven't seen it yet, you can easily do so because it's the only Paul Thoms Anderson movie that's on Netflix Instant Watch, as of this writing. If you haven't read the previous three installments of the retrospectives, you can do so by clicking these links for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Also, much like the last installment, I'm going to be employing several clips as examples for the filmmaking techniques that Anderson uses throughout the film, so make sure your connection is good enough to be buffering plenty of videos. Plus, some of the clips contain some strong language, so if that's not your thing, you've been warned.

With all that being said, let's buy some pudding and take a closer look at Punch-Drunk Love.

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective Part 3: Magnolia

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective continues! Last time, we took a look at the film that put Paul Thomas Anderson on the map: the ambitious, epicly scoped Boogie Nights. Today, however, we see Anderson pushing the limits of ambition AND scope in his follow-up piece, 1999's Magnolia.

If you hadn't read the previous two installments of the Retrospective, I suggest clicking these links for Part 1 and Part 2. Plus, it must be made absolutely clear that it's impossible to discuss Magnolia without getting into serious detail on the character arcs and the insane finale. So be warned: There are major, MAJOR spoilers.

Also, unlike most of my retrospectives, instead of just showing a bunch of pictures from the movie, I'm going to be employing clips from the film. So make sure your internet connection is good enough to buffer some YouTube videos, if you want the full experience. Not required, but definitely a plus!

With that being said, it's time to analyze the web of coincidences that is Magnolia.

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective Part 2: Boogie Nights

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective continues! Last time, we took a look at Anderson's debut feature, Hard Eight (or Sydney, in some circles). Today, however, we're going to examine the film that put Paul Thomas Anderson on the map: the landmark Boogie Nights.

If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. Also keep in mind that while I managed to keep away from spoilers for my Hard Eight discussion, I will most definitely be spoiling a lot of the best scenes in Boogie Nights. You've been warned.

With that being said, it's time to get hard for Paul Thomas Anderson's look at the porn-industry of the '70s, Boogie Nights.

The Paul Thomas Anderson Retrospective Part 1: Hard Eight

In just a few weeks, the latest Paul Thomas Anderson film, The Master, is going to finally hit theaters after many years of waiting since There Will Be Blood in 2007, his last movie. While The Master may be under the radar for most audiences, it's one of the most highly anticipated movies amongst cinephiles, for good reason. Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the best and most important directors of our time, and any new film of his is a sure-fire event.

So much of an event, that I've decided that my second Director Retrospective will focus on him. Starting today, we'll look back at Paul Thomas Anderson's career and see his interesting evolution and maturation as a director and a screenwriter, starting with his first feature Hard Eight, and ending with my official review of The Master starring Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Like my Christopher Nolan retrospective, I'll be looking at the themes and stylistic quirks that connect each film, and see how he grows and "learns" with each subsequent film.

Also worth noting: This review contains zero spoilers! Hooray!

With all that being said, let's begin with his debut: Hard Eight.

American Horror Story: Asylum Is Gonna Be Awesome

American Horror Story is awesome. It's also silly, stupid, ridiculous, lurid, cheesy, and a whole slew of adjectives that are popping in my head at random. But I fucking love it.

Cosmopolis Movie Review

[Cosmopolis
Written & Directed by David Cronenberg
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti, and Sarah Gordon
MPAA: R - For Some Strong Sexual Content Including Graphic Nudity, Violence, and Language]

Paranorman Movie Review

[Paranorman
Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, and Casey Affleck
MPAA: PG - For Scary Action and Images, Thematic Elements, Some Rude Humor, and Language]

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Detention Movie Review

[Detention
Written & Directed by Joseph Kahn
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, and Dane Cook
MPAA: R - For Bloody Violence, Crude and Sexual Content, Nudity, Language, Some Teen Drinking and Drug Use]

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Margaret: The Masterpiece Mourned By No One

"Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow’s spríngs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It ís the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for."
~Gerard Manley Hopkins, Spring and Fall: To A Young Child

--

The following is a review/analysis of the Extended 3-hour cut of Margaret. I still haven't seen the original theatrical cut, which is half an hour shorter, but upon reading some articles that explain the differences between the two, I concur that the Extended Cut is the definitive version of the film. I'm well aware that writer/director Kenneth Lonergan doesn't consider it so, since there was a much-longer Director's Cut that was 3 hours and 30 minutes if I remember correctly. But that was never released. The only versions you, the reader, are able to watch are the Theatrical and the Extended, and in my opinion, the Extended Cut is the definitive version. Just don't take my word for it 100% because I still haven't seen the Theatrical cut, but from my understanding, the Extended Cut has more dialogue and more scenes that truly express the psychological turmoil of its main character, so it is the definitive version in my book.

With all of that out of the way, let me tell you why a.) you've never heard of Margaret and b.) you need to rectify that.

The Christopher Nolan Retrospective Part 6: The Dark Knight Trilogy

The Christopher Nolan Retrospective continues! Last time, we delved into the many dream-layers of Inception to see how it provides insight into the director's mind itself. Today, in the final installment of the Christopher Nolan Retrospective, we take a look the trilogy that made Nolan an icon to thousands of movie fans: His Dark Knight Trilogy.

As always, I'm going to mention that there will be major spoilers in this discussion, except for The Dark Knight Rises since I know that not everybody has had a chance to see it yet. I will definitely be going into some plot details in The Dark Knight Rises that aren't necessarily spoilers, but I know that plenty of people have been trying to know as little about the film as possible so that they can have a clean experience with it, so be advised on that regard. If you haven't seen the other two movies (But seriously, who hasn't?) they're available wherever DVDs are sold or rentable.

With that being said, let's glide across Gothan to analyze Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy...

The Dark Knight Rises Movie Review

[The Dark Knight Rises
Written & Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Hardy
MPAA: PG-13 - For Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Sensuality, And Language]

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[The following review is free of major spoilers, but I still discuss a few plot-points and details that can be considered spoilers to some, so if you still want to know absolutely nothing about the film then I'd still suggest not reading this review until after viewing the film.]

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[Also, this review was written before hearing of the news of the tragic Colorado shooting at a midnight screening in Century Theaters. The review is left unedited, but still worth noting that certain things have changed for some people's viewing habits because of the horrific incident. Please keep in mind that it shouldn't stop anyone from seeing the film. My thoughts go to the families and friends of the victims, and anyone else who was affected by the incident.]

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The Christopher Nolan Retrospective Part 5: Inception

The Christopher Nolan Retrospective continues! Last time, we examined how The Prestige was the key to understanding the films of Christopher Nolan. Today, we're skipping The Dark Knight to look at what many consider to be Christopher Nolan's magnum opus: Inception.

As always, I'm going to point out that the Batman films are being saved for a special Batman trilogy installment at the end of the retrospective; which, coincidentally, is going to be the next one. This will coincide with my review of The Dark Knight Rises, so that we get to look at the ways the three films work together as a trilogy. Another thing to point out is that there will be major spoilers in the following discussion, so if you haven't seen Inception (Which isn't really likely) then you can rent it anywhere discs can be rented, or even buy it anywhere on DVD or blu-ray.

If you would like to read the other installments of this retrospective, click on the following links for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

With that being said, let's dive right into the many different dream layers of Inception...

The Christopher Nolan Retrospective Part 4: The Prestige

The Christopher Nolan Retrospective continues! Last time, we analyzed what made Insomnia so very different from the rest of the Nolan filmography. Today, however, we skip Batman Begins (Saving it for a later installment) and move straight on to the exact opposite of Insomnia in what many people argue to be the Nolan-iest film in the Nolan catalogue: The Prestige.

As always, I'm going to point out that I'm skipping the Batman movies and saving them for a special Dark Knight Trilogy installment to close this series off with, which will coincide with my The Dark Knight Rises review; and I'm also going to warn you that this will contain some major spoilers. So if you haven't seen The Prestige yet, I'm sad to report that it's not on Netflix Instant, but you could still rent the disc wherever discs are available.

If you would like to read the other installments of this retrospective, click on the following links for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

With that being said, let's dive right into The Prestige...