Reviews that won't make you snooze

At the tail end of 2005, our site here ran into a few difficulties with our service provider which unfortunately resulted in a few weeks of unavoidable downtime. So in an effort to at least recover a little bit where we left off, and at the same time, introduce a new article here at Auphan Movies, Iâ??ve decided to try something a little different.

So, without further ado, allow me to present the first installment of Reviews that Wonâ??t Make You Snoozeâ?ŠThe goal here is to summarize monthly, in a few sentences for each, my thoughts on films which I may or may not have had the opportunity to fully review over the course of the month. I hope it allows me the chance to cover more films then I usually do, and at the same time endâ??s up being useful for those of you out there who donâ??t want to read the longer versions. 

I welcome any thoughts or ideas you might have on the new format. Anything from â??This kicks ****â? to â??Donâ??t waste my timeâ?Šâ? Itâ??s just a test, and if people like it, Iâ??ll keep it going from month to month. So, for the month of January 2006, here are some movies reviews that wonâ??t make you snooze (hopefully!):

Brokeback Mountain

For all the hype this movie has received, I was expecting a movie that would have the audience in tears by the time it was over. In reality, this movie is WAAAY over-hyped, and in all honesty is really only receiving its notoriety because of its pioneering subject matter. The two main actors do a decent job, but nothing spectacular. In two years from now, the only lingering aspects of this film will be the fact that â??Brokebackâ? has joined other phrases such as â??putting in the roughâ? and â??playing for the other teamâ? in the slang dictionary for homosexuality...3.0 / 5.0

Scene from Hostel

Hostel

To be honest, there really wasnâ??t much substance to this movie at all. There is some viciously violent gore, without a doubt, but really, thatâ??s about all it has to offer. Give me a good psychological thriller any day over a film like this thatâ??s violent just because it can be. On the good side though, maybe director Eli Roth will carry over some of this violence to his next film, currently slated as â??The Baywatch Movie.â? Maybe someone will take the hedge trimmers to David Hasselhoffâ??s head! We could be so luckyâ?Š2.0 / 5.0 

Glory Road

If you have seen the movie â??Remember the Titansâ? or â??Hoosiersâ? or â??The Replacementsâ? or â??Coach Carterâ? or any of the other countless films that have been released over the years with the same general plotline, then you know exactly how this movie plays out. While supposedly â??based on a true storyâ? obviously liberties are taken in order to ensure a more interesting cinema experience. In the end though, Glory Road really isnâ??t all that exciting, but itâ??s around the middle of the pack for its genre. Check it out only if you have nothing better to do on a weekendâ?Š2.5 / 5.0