TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

After enduring the tragedy that was "Iron Man 3", I felt disappointed in summer blockbusters.  That was, until I saw "The Great Gatsby," which featured stunning style and gorgeous cinematography.  But my expectations were turned for the better when I saw something that was, decidedly the anti-"Gatsby," an independent film with rave reviews, a guitar-based soundtrack and a leathery Matthew McConaughey.  That film is one of the year's best (already, I know) and that film is "Mud." "Mud," like its title, begins deceptively simple with two young country boys going out on their cheap motorboat exploring.  Right away the movie flashes similarities to one of my favorite 80's films "Stand by Me," and that's a direction you can never go wrong in.  I'm a sucker for films with kids who try to act grown up, it makes their coming-of-age story that more interesting. The kids in question are Ellis and Neckbone (they never d...

Here's the irony I had walking into Baz Lurhmann's "The Great Gatsby:" most people who I've talked to refer to "Gatsby" as that book that they had to read in their high school English class.  As someone who's currently enrolled in a high school English class...I've never read "The Great Gatsby," mostly because I'd assumed we'd have gotten to it by now, but...nope.  We did however watch half of the 1974 Jack Clayton version starring Robert Redford, which was, to say the least, romantic but dry.  I was hoping this version wouldn't share these undesirable qualities. Luhrmann, the real star of the film Wow, is it good to be right. Luhrmann's "Gatsby," which was moved from December 2012 to now for some reason, is a gorgeous film with enormous scope and, dare I say, brave decisions.  All my peers had raved about the "Gatsby" adaptation, but then again they did the same for "Iron Man 3," and ...

Let me completely preface this with a review with the fact that, despite my low-ranking social status in high school, I never have been a nerd about much except for movies.  Film provides an escape for me, which is really why I got into it. So before I get into my thrashing of this movie, I want to make it clear I've seen all of the Marvel Phase 1 movies in theaters only ONCE. I do not re-watch them, I do not read the comic books they're based off of or ever desire to, I'm purely interested in the cinematic adaptation.  The strongest I've ever felt connected to a superhero is Spider-Man, who was a pasty nerd like myself. (And the Hulk to some extent, I was an angry kid.) And I fully realize I'm in the minority when I say I didn't enjoy "Iron Man 3," a sputtering, one-line firing disappointment of a trilogy finale. There's obviously a way of doing them right, take my #2 favorite film of last year, "The Dark Knight Rises," a dark, gritty ...

It's been a hectic last few weeks, but just yesterday when coming up blank on ideas to post on this blog, I thought I was going to be attending a screening of "Evil Dead" with some friends, but that didn't pan out.  Not to fear, I looked at the calendar and realized that it was April 25th!  This date might not mean anything to you, but to me it's one of three very essential dates: my stab in the dark at what might be nominated for Best Picture come January.  I partake in this every 4/25, every 9/1 and every post-Golden Globes day.  It's stupid, but sometimes the little things are what keep you going in life! BEST PICTURE NOMINEES 2013: (I do it out of 10, even though the range could be 5-10 films nominated, though ever since this bizarre system came into fruition its been 9) The Great Gatsby (actually on the list last year, but it was delayed til summer '13) The Wolf of Wall Street ( a safe Scorsese bet) August: Osage County...

The announcement that "Finding Dory" was going to be released in late 2015 was, to say the least...polarizing.  Fans of "Finding Nemo" (and really who isn't that has a normal, functioning heart capable of love?) probably had two things entering the minds: "Dory's getting her own spin off! That's what I've been waiting for my whole life!" or "Dory's getting her own spin off? Wasn't "Nemo" mostly about Dory and Marlin's relationship anyway?" Personally I'm leaning towards the second reaction.  In my list of the five greatest Pixar characters , Dory came in as a strong runner-up to all-time favorites Woody and Buzz.  Voiced by the unbeatable, hysterical Ellen DeGeneres, audiences left "Nemo" with a bucketful of new, delightful characters like Bruce the devilish shark, Crash the perpetually relaxed turtle, and our amnesiac friend who provided much of the heart to the movie.  Regular viewers o...

It is not exactly great to be a movie critic right now.  Recent releases like "Olympus Has Fallen," "Admission" and "The Host" have all received to middling to brutally negative reviews, the latter falling more into that second category.  I love Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey and aliens equally (I'm just kidding Tina, I love you) but I'm avoiding all of the above films like the plague.  "Olympus" looks brainless, "Admission" looks lifeless and "Host" looks...awful.  Sorry Twihards.  So what's a critic to do when nothing's even passably decent in theaters? See it anyway, because they're professionals, but lo and behold I don't have that burden (yet.)  What I do is go back to the 2012 movie season, and see a film that got a little awards love, but surprisingly strong box office appreciation.  This, ladies and gentleman, is "Quartet." "Quartet," directed by directing newbie Dustin Hoffman, ...

I guess dreams really do come true!  Just last week I posted my desires to see "Spring Breakers," honestly thinking it'd be months before I could rent the film by controversial director Harmony Korine on DVD.   I got a little too excited when I realized it received a wide release, because really who would want to hide a movie like this?  I went into "Spring Breakers" with the full knowledge it was going to be a crazy film.  I was wrong.  "Spring Breakers" is not a crazy film.   It is the craziest film. Initially we're showed a rapid montage of repeating images of scantily clad women and douches looking like they're having the time of their lives on spring break.  This is a recurring motif in "Spring Breakers," the idea that these kids are having "the time of their lives," when it's no more than potentially lethal intakes of booze, coke, and college boys, who will, to put it kindly, degrade you and use you for a one nig...