Hollywood Chop Shop

Posts in Cinemachanics
West Side Story (1961) Review

In a modern retailing of Shakespeare's classic Romeo & Juliet, star crossed lovers Tony & Maria are on opposite sides of rival gangs The Jets & Sharks. Can love at first sight solve the socio-economical divide of these two complex groups, or will their improbable bind cause further tensions between the migrants just trying to find a new life and those just trying to hold onto what little they have after being abandoned by a system indifferent to their situation.

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City of God (2003) Review

An aspiring photojournalist recounts the rise and fall of the drug war in the slums of Rio de Janeiro during the 60’s and 70’s. His unique perspective gives life and color to the residents who experienced the peace and inevitable destruction the gangs brought, as well as the rich history that keeps the cycle in motion. While some want to control what most wish to escape, it’s clear there is truly only one way out. 

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Batman Returns (1992) Review

The streets of Gotham are once again littered with a sideshow of criminally insane wreaking havoc. This time, lead by a avian obsessed orphan, the group of ne'er-do-wells plot to take vengeance for past grievances assisted by a corrupt corporate tycoon. Can Batman stop the many plots against the good people of Gotham or will his pursuit of a costumed pussy cat stop him from saving the day?

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Die Hard (1988) Review

A New York City cop with a chip on his shoulder lands in L.A. just in time to attend his estranged wife’s Christmas party at the Nakatomi headquarters. While the police officer brushes shoulders with the executives that whisked away his family to the opposite coast, the festivities are commandeered by a group of terrorists with ulterior motives. Now, with everyone else being held hostage, New York’s finest fish-out-of-water must rise to the occasion and save as many people as he can before the band of perpetrators can complete their plan. 

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Idiocracy (2006) Review

In the year 2005 the military's most average soldier and a prostitute in good health are handpicked to test a hibernation program for one year that turns into 500. When they awaken in the year 2505 they are surprised to learn they are the smartest humans on earth after generations of only stupid people breeding. Now, knowing humanity's fate, the two search for a time machine to correct the errors of the past and get the higher end of the bell curve procreating.

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Air Force One (1997) Review

A radicalized faction of Russian Nationalists hijack Air Force One with the President, his family and major members of his administration on board. Their mission: demand the release of Communist General looking to reestablish the Soviet Union. After refusing to evacuate the plane midair, which would have ended the terrorist plot immediately, the The President attempts to overthrow the rogues while saving as many passengers as possible.

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The Manchurian Candidate (2004) Review

A plot to steal the presidency of the United States is threatened after a group of soldiers ambushed in the Gulf War start to remember their attack differently. As the commanding officer digs deeper into the events of that night, one thing becomes abundantly clear, their minds have been tampered with and reengineered with new memories. Who, or what, would have the power to do such a thing, and what motivations could lead to brainwashing a group of soldiers into thinking they survived a battle that never happened.

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Scream (2022) Review

The legacy of the Ghostface killers is brought back to life when a series of copycat murderers starts hunting teenagers connected to the original survivors. As the new cast of victims relives the events of the first attacks, it becomes clear the killers might be more inspired by the movie within the movie, Stab, then the actual story and events that took place in Woodsboro, California 25 years ago.

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NOPE (2022) Review

A pair of siblings suddenly inherit their fathers horse training ranch and are shocked to find his death might have been inadvertently caused by an extraterrestrial. The two must now attempt to film the unidentified flying creature responsible for killing their dad, or be forced to sell their land to a neighboring roadside attraction run by a Hollywood dropout. As pressure mounts they enlist the help of their tech salesman and a world renowned cinematographer to capture the “Oprah Shot”, save their family legacy and maybe become famous in the end.

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Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) Review

It’s been nearly 30 years since the Sanderson Sisters were put to rest, but many would say their return was inevitable as ill placed fanbom brings them back from the dead. After a group of teenagers unknowingly completes a ritual to resurrect the words most powerful coven, they must figure out how to defeat the witches again before they take vengeance on the town of Salem and its residents.

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The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) Review

Samantha, a suburban mother has spent the last 8 years building a life with her daughter after being found pregnant on a riverbank suffering from amnesia. It’s not long before her perfect life is flipped upside down after a horrific car accident dislodges some of her past memories and she begins to regain her killer instincts. To further complicate things a conveniently timed local news story about her town's christmas parade tips off nefarious actors who assumed she was dead and want to correct their mistake. With the help of a budget PI and her dual personality, maybe Samantha can settle her past and move on with her future.

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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) Review

A petty thief finds himself in LA after accidentally passing off as an aspiring actor, but things quickly go sideways for him on The Coast after he teams up with a PI consultant and a familiar face from his small town home. Between honing his new found craft with a detective who despises him and solving a couple seemingly unconnected deaths with the girl that got away, our criminal friend might have been better off just spending Christmas in jail.

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The Nice Guys (2016) Review

A PI and a strong man are thrust into an unlikely partnership after a series of high profile murders in the adult entertainment industry. After working the case from both ends, the two find themselves on the receiving end of a series of hitmen working to cover-up a conspiracy surrounding the big three automakers.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Review

New York City is the epicenter of a crime wave led by the mysterious Shredder, a ruthless master of new Ninjutsu. To carry out his string of petty thievery, The Shredder has enlisted only the fiercest and highly trained operatives to deplete NYC of its purses, wallets and consumer electronics… angsty teenage boys. Now, to combat the rising crime, four adolescent anthropomorphic shelled reptile siblings trained in the classic art of ninjutsu must emerge from the sewers and fight back the Foot Clan and its kingpin.

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The Goonies (1985) Review

The threat of being disbanded looms over The Goonies, a group of misfits from a middle class neighborhood on the brink of foreclosure. In a classic us vs the rich story, the group only has 24hrs before the bank seizes their homes to expand the local country club, and thus must embark on a hail mary adventure to save their stomping grounds. Can The Goonies uncover the boobytrapped fortune hidden by One-Eyed Willy, a pirate legend, or will a malicious family of counterfeiters stop them dead in their tracks.

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The Lost Boys (1987) Review

A mother and her two sons move in with her father in an eccentric coastal town in California in an effort to get their lives back after a divorce. While enjoying the nightly entertainment, the oldest brother is entranced by a young woman and finds himself part of an unusual dirt bike gang; meanwhile the younger brother wanders into a comic shop that doubles as the secret headquarters for a couple wouldbe teenage vampire hunters. As the family tries to settle into their new beachside community they’ll start to understand what they mean by blood is thicker than water.

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Tropic Thunder (2008) Review

An ensemble cast is assembled as a fake ensemble cast filming a gritty Vietnam war flick written by a “true” patriot. As the director of the movie within a movie loses control of his washed-up, drugged-out, hot-dogging, inexperienced and untrained actors, he resorts to unconventional means to motivate his talent. With the looming threat of an over-the-top studio exec, the cast and crew must get the picture back on track before all hell reigns down on them.

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