Movie Junction

Lionsgate presents the fourth installment of its “After Dark” series, and “The Reeds” is one of the eight movies in the series. “The Reeds” begins when a group of six friends decide to party in their private boat. Soon after, a freak boating accident leads to a casualty. In the heat of the moment, a few of them venture out into the reeds to seek assistance, and they soon find themselves terrorized by a group of group of punks. Eventually, all of them come across a shotgun-wielding, black-hooded guy. After that, it is a battle to stay alive and find a way out. For a moment, let us examine the similarities between “The Reeds” and another film of the same kind, “Cabin Fever.” Both movies have a group of friends camping out in a desolate place in the wilderness, with each group having a person who thinks more with his muscles than anything else. And, of course, to spice things up, we have a bunch of beautiful women who can’t think sensibly on their feet. Sound clichéd? It is. As I...

In my review of “Mad Men: Season Two,” I criticized the writers for taking a laid-back approach to the entire storyline, with too much emphasis on the character of Don Drapper. Well, in hindsight, I can say that I may have been too harsh in my grade. Of course, with its impeccable cast and a talented writing team, I knew “Mad Men” would strike back. After viewing the third season on Blu-ray in a marathon session spanning a two-day period, I can convincingly say that “Mad Men” continues to demonstrate its fascinating and intriguing journey into the world of advertising, corporate mergers, multi-faceted human nature, and suburbia with a degree of dexterity that is a rarity these days. The critical components of the show--the writing, acting, and story--are all remarkably improved, at times setting a new standard on how a TV series should be created. There is no doubt that this season is the best one so far, eclipsing the last two seasons in quality by a wide margin. Warning: Spoiler...

Apart from the recent financial crisis, since 2001 the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been at the forefront of every national debate in the U.S. Starting with the national security issue, a mounting trade deficit, and an overwhelming amount of money and resources invested in the two wars (Iraq and Afghanistan), these conflicts have touched upon the lives of millions of Americans, directly or indirectly. While there are movies such as the HBO’s miniseries “Generation Kill” and the recent Academy Award winner for best picture, “The Hurt Locker,” that have specifically dealt with the battlefield action, there is a serious dearth of movies that address specific concerns arising from post-traumatic stress disorder, popularly known as PTSD, that is notably seen in soldiers returning from wars. Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers” (2009) is a story that highlights the problematic and threatening aspects of PTSD. Based on the Danish movie of the same name, “Brothers” tells a tale of Major Sam (Tobey ...

I have to admit that “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (2009) is the most-intense film I have seen in the past ten years. It has been a few days since I watched the movie for the first time, and I am still trying to soak up its emotional impact. The movie is not merely a depiction of a black family living in a project housing, but, rather, it is a study of a continuous struggle and journey of one individual that touches overarching universal issues such as parental abuse, incest, disease, and poverty. The director, Lee Daniels, who is best known as the producer of “Monster’s Ball,” turns in a masterful directing job and gets fine performances from his actors to create a film that is a memorable and artful experience. Surprisingly enough, even with its relatively depressing subject, “Precious,” with a budget of $10 million has grossed over $50 million at the box office. Not only has “Precious” wound up being ranked high in critics’ lists all over, but a few critics ha...

A movie like “The Stoning of Soraya M.” (2009) raises a couple of questions that continuously linger on the mind: Is this movie a work of art? Is it a sincere effort about a human-rights issue? Or is it just an activist piece? Comparing this movie to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928) in which Joan, just like Soraya, was also publicly executed, Dreyer’s effort is a fully realized work of art. With “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” the director, Cyprus Nowrasteh, touches on the punishment by stoning as prescribed by Sharia Law, which is the way of life for a dutiful Muslim. The filmmakers try to present their vocal opinion on the cruel form of punishment that represents a compelling and controversial human-rights issue. As a result of a few hard-liners practicing the Sharia Law, the stoning by death is a well-known mechanism of punishment that is still prevalent in remote regions of the Arab world, notably in Iran, as well as in certain parts of Africa. The film is ...