“It's not hard to understand why an accomplished director like Gus Van Sant (whose most recent success, Good Will Hunting, gave him mainstream clout) would be interested in making this film. The lure of an exact remake presents a tremendous challenge. Unfortunately, it was undoubtedly a lot more stimulating for Van Sant and his crew to make Psycho than it is for an audience to watch it. Curiosity is going to be one of the primary reasons why people pay money to see this movie; boredom will be the predominant result.” PeopleHardReasonWould BeFilmChallengesResultsPayWatchesAudienceDirectorsPrimariesReason WhyBoredomAccomplishedHuntingMainstreamCrewVansGood WillLureRemakesPsychoCloutGusWill Hunting Author:James Berardinelli
“Live Free or Die Hard may work better for an audience that doesn't know much about the series is than it will for Die Hard die hards, who will be wondering who that impersonator is and what he did with the real John McClane. The original Die Hard came out of nowhere to blitz the 1988 summer box office. The fourth installment arrives with a weight of expectations that Atlas would have trouble shouldering and, when the dust settles in September, it's unlikely that Live Free or Die Hard will be one of this year's big success stories.” KnowsYearsMayRealHardStoriesBigsDiesWonderAudienceTroubleOfficeSummerExpectationsWeightOriginalsSeriesBoxesDustSettlingFourthSeptemberUnlikelyBox OfficeAtlasSuccess StoriesLive FreeBlitzImpersonators Author:James Berardinelli
“The Drop's unpredictability is organic rather than sensationalistic. The movie doesn't pull surprises out of thin air for the sole purpose of shocking an audience - it lets them develop naturally.” PurposeAudienceAirSurpriseSoleShockingUnpredictabilityThin Air Author:James Berardinelli
“This is as brain-dead as a movie can be and it assumes the audience will have the I.Q. of a rutabaga.” BrainAudienceAssumingBrain Dead Author:James Berardinelli
