Movie Reviews

We’re a hotheaded group of individuals. We crave a pull quote like anyone else, but it’s not about that. It’s only about you the reader. We love you. We want to take you home and cuddle with you. The following reviews are the opinions of the editors of CHUD.com and are by most accounts bang on.

MEDIA REPORTS (12.11.06)

1. GEEK MONTHLY #1 From the folks at CFQ (primarily well-known nerd entrepraneur Mark Altman, who I have to introduce myself to as if it’s the first time every time) comes a magazine devoted to geek culture and all its incarnations. Thankfully, it’s under the stewardship of genuine good guy Jeff Bond. This issue’s strong … Continue reading

REVIEW: DREAMGIRLS

Clapping at the movies never made much sense to me. What’s the applause supposed to signify? “Way to project that film!” But that didn’t stop me from applauding wildly at the end of Jennifer Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” smack dab in the middle of Dreamgirls. My applause was involuntary; it … Continue reading

REVIEW: APOCALYPTO (DEVIN’S TAKE)

Here’s my pitch for an Apocalypto video game, which also serves as a synopsis of the movie: We begin the game with a training level so you can get used to the controls. You’re country Mayan Jaguar Paw, and you’re hunting tapir in the Central American jungle. You have to run, jump and use ingenuity … Continue reading

REVIEW: BLOOD DIAMOND

There are a lot of galling things in Blood Diamond, the new Africa in crisis movie, but perhaps the most galling is the way the film insists on making a white guy the lead when the whole thing is the black guy’s story. It’s not even a question – if the film has been set … Continue reading

REVIEW: APOCALYPTO (RUSS’ TAKE)

During Apocalypto’s midpoint climax, you might get a glimpse into how difficult it is to be Mel Gibson. As decapitated human sacrifices are thrown from a Mayan pyramid in delirious slow motion, one wonders how it’s possible to spiritually reflect on such barbarism when it looks so goddamned great. Extrapolate that into a dichotomy — … Continue reading

CREATURE CORNER BOOK REVIEW: OFF SEASON

Written by Jack KetchumPublished by LeisureBuy it from the Creature Co! Review by RJ Sevin I first encountered Jack Ketchum ten years ago: Overlook Connection Press founder Dave Hinchberger told me about his upcoming limited edition of The Girl Next Door, a novel both notorious and, for many years, nearly impossible to find. Devotees of … Continue reading

MEDIA REPORTS – 11.23.06

1. HOLLYWOOD LIFE – NOV/DEC 06 – $3.99 – Subscribe Once known as Movieline, a pretty good magazine at one point which featured some pretty ballsy articles. Now it’s much more geared towards fashion and the lifestyle of stars and the people who want to emulate them. To say that this magazine took an assdive … Continue reading

REVIEW: CASINO ROYALE

I won’t lie to you – I usually don’t like Bond films. I can stomach the older ones because they tend to be campy, but in general I find Bond dull – a collection of clichés and conceits instead of characterization. It isn’t any secret that your hero will always triumph at the end of … Continue reading

REVIEW: BORAT

A good critic should react to a movie, not to the movie’s poster or trailer or Fox’s seeming desire to burn the freshness out of the movie months before it’s even released. It’s that last one that has given me some trouble with Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. … Continue reading