Eclectic Pop

There are so many lessons to be gleaned from this smattered-together, critically adored, hot mess express. Loosely based on the true events of the 1970s Abscam scandal, “American Hustle” looks the part of a decadent period piece complete with exquisite costuming, sensational acting talent, and the…

"Noah" starring Russell Crowe

Darren Aronofsky is back with his first film since the Oscar winning “Black Swan”. This time he’s tackling a greater lightning rod than the cutthroat underworld of ballet dancers, the Biblical story of Noah. The film has been falsely advertised as a Biblical epic which it is not even close to being.

Aronofsky is no stranger to depicting spirituality on film as he wrote and directed the breathtaking “The Fountain” which was a meditation on life and death, set against the backdrop of the Tree of Life. As with that film and all other Aronofsky creations, this movie is intense and thematically dark. It would be strongly advised that kids steer clear of it.

Disney's smash-hit animation is a trek back to feminine fantasy with an adult-oriented twist that captures several metaphors in a powerfully playful way. “Frozen” is a rift off of Hans Christian Andersons’ classic “The Snow Queen,” where the only remaining strand resembling Anderson’s original story is the inclusion of magical trolls and of course, an ice-blasting royal.

Overview: A series of questions finally got a season of answers. After the Halloween episode revealed that Alison (Sasha Pieterse) has actually been among the living the whole time, the Liars’ had to regroup, track her down and get the information that has been alluding them for two years (show time) and 4 seasons.

According to recent films, the future is looking bleaker than ever. As they persistently claim we are headed to a dystopian aftermath, following civilization’s imagined fall. In case you were trying to be optimistic, it is commonly explained that this fall is more than a mere stumble. It is this collapse that will eventually lead to a full blown apocalypse.

It’s a dreary prediction that does not make for the most ideal escapism. So imagine the surprise when "Divergent," yet another film in this vein, is not only uplifting but truly entertaining.

Best Show that Combined Being Humorous & Sexy: The Tomorrow People: This week’s episode “Superhero” centered on Russell (Aaron Yoo) as he tried to find his vigilante ex (Melissa Roxburgh). Russell offered up his characteristic zingers and Yoo got a chance to display his marvelous comedic abilities along with some great chemistry with his love interest for the episode, Roxburgh.

Meanwhile Cara (Peyton List) and John (Luke Mitchell) got a chance to play with the lighter side of their relationship where double entendres abounded and witty chemistry followed suit.

Divergent: It has been billed as the next “Hunger Games”, as it is the latest YA adaptation to revolve around a rebel female protagonist who must stand against the tyrannical leadership of elitist dictators in a dystopian future.

There’s a lot of interesting social commentary that inhabits the best-selling series of books by Veronica Roth. In the “Divergent” universe people are separated by character traits.. What sets heroine Tris (Shailene Woodley) apart is that she is equally gifted in 3 of the 5 characteristics aka a “divergent”.

"Compliance" tells a story so twisted and horrifying that a Hollywood screenwriter would have a hard time matching its insidiousness with a work of fiction. That's because most of the horror comes from knowing this was someone's reality. It all unravels after the manager of a fast food restaurant (Ann Dowd) receives a prank call that Becky (Dreama Walker), one of her employees, has stolen money from a customer. This accusation eventually leads to Becky being strip searched to prove her innocence and from there it gets even worse.

"The First Time" (2012)

A teen flick that never quite realizes its full potential. “The First Time” is bogged down by an awkward timeline which spans a very long night that bonds high school seniors Dave (Dylan O’Brien) and Aubrey (Britt Robertson). The story then continues through the following week as the two try to decide if a relationship is in the cards for them, despite a looming life change as they leave high school and proximity behind.

A stellar performance by “Teen Wolf” star Dylan O’Brien keeps the film engaging. While, co-star Britt Robertson struggles to capture the same winsome as she portrays yet another bratty character. Another in a long line, “Under the Dome”, “Life Unexpected”, “Cherry” and “The Tenth Circle” being among the others.

"Saving Mr. Banks" is the quasi-biopic of P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) life and Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) battle with her to make the film adaptation of her classic book “Mary Poppins.” As a film, it suffers from a flurry of scattershot attempts to weave a narrative that explains Traver…

Liam Neeson’s latest thriller is a plane ride of excitement that plays as a Hitchcockian style psychological thriller. The mystery and the intrigue in"Non-Stop" is palatable, striking closing to home with recent events in a spellbinding study of suspicion. Neeson plays an air marshal assigned to protect a transatlantic flight. After take-off he starts receiving text messages threatening passengers and demanding a sum of money to stop.

It has been 7 years since the original “300” burst onto screens becoming a surprise box office smash that would launch the career of its star Gerard Butler into the A-List along with director Zack Snyder and popularize a production model where CGI imagery composed the majority of an epic's visual surroundings. For years since its debut, the rippling shockwaves of its pop culture impact has been substantial.

March 6: "300: Rise of an Empire"

8 years after the release of 2006’s surprise smash “300”, the sequel is finally here. This time the action centers on Greek leader Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) and Artemisia I of Caria portrayed by the outstanding Eva Green. Based on the unreleased graphic novel “Xerxes” by Frank Miller, “Rise of an Empire” promises to stay in keeping with the green screen epic-ness that was the original.

Stepping up to replace original director Zac Snyder is the interesting choice of Noam Murro, who previously helmed the 2008 indie dramedy “Smart People”. The first film spawned the Hollywood breakthrough of actor Gerard Butler, who led the original with the star quality necessary to make it a blockbuster. Who, if any of the cast proves to be a breakout from its sequel; will be interesting to follow. Read Eclectic Pop's Review by clicking here

Reports, such as Variety's on the highly troubled production of this martial arts fantasy film has plagued the film since its onset. There seems to be an assumption that the developments during the production stage can be indicative of a troubled final product. In the case of “47 Ronin” all of its making-of struggles have not affected the film’s overall quality. Vibrant cinematography, and competent special effects keep the film on track visually.

Kevin Costner’s comeback to mainstream theatrical films continues in this McG directed thriller. Written by Luc Besson, the scribe behind the spectacular “Taken”, he goes back to the roots of his earlier work for “3 Days to Kill”, culling from “Leon: The Professional” to be exact. Costner plays a dying assassin who is given the chance to extend his life with an experimental drug. The catch is he must kill for 3 days and complete a mission to apprehend a crime boss to get it.

When “The Truman Show” premiered in 1998, the idea of reality television was a distant idea and a seemingly preposterous one. Whether you thought it was the greatest idea ever or the worst, that movie would ultimately foreshadow the age of “Survivor”, “The Real World” and countless reality shows since. Movies are a window to the future, sometimes seeing as far as 50 years and other times striking a little too close to the existing timeline.