The Eclipse is a horror movie about being an old, as-of-yet unpublished author. Ciarán Hinds (There Will Be Blood, “Rome”) stars as a widower who helps organize a literary festival in Cobh, Ireland. During his hectic week, he sparks a little romance, sees a couple freaky ghosts, beats up Aidan Quinn and grows as a person. Read more »
Last night I watched an entertaining documentary, Not Quite Hollywood, that covered the Aussie exploitation films of the 70s and 80s. Initially, I was most interested to learn that Mad Max wasn’t born in a vacuum, but was rather was a particularly thrilling product of a larger film movement that catered to the tastes of drive-in audiences. Read more »
Well, it’s finally happened. After 35 years of popularizing film criticism, Siskel & Ebert’s landmark series “At The Movies” will air its last show August 14th, 2010. We give this decision a big Four-Thumbs Down.
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“Breaking Bad”, the twisted and criminally under-watched AMC show, debuted it’s third season last week. Judging from the first episode, “No Mas,” Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan and co. haven’t mellowed out. Surreal, paranoid and funny, the show basks in its own bleakness. Read more »
In his first feature film, director Tze Chun weaves a powerful, understated tale about a small Chinese family’s struggles to survive and prosper in suburban Boston. With a keen photographic eye, a provocative script, and a gentle directorial touch, Children of Invention flows effortlessly from hilarious to heartbreaking, and packs a subtle political message about the American Dream that will linger long after its 86 minutes have flown by.
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Repo Men is a film about hating your job, set in a dystopian future. In that way, it wants to be “Office Space meets Blade Runner.” Those films are classics; unfortunately, Repo Men is not. Read more »
Mother, the new South Korean thriller by director Joon-ho Bong, is an instant classic. Funny, disturbing and suspenseful, it is the best thriller in recent history (even trumping the excellent Ghost Writer). Hye-ja Kim, playing the title character, delivers an unforgettable performance in a film that finds humor, and plot twists, in unexpected places. Read more »
Nothing about the new werewolf thriller The Wolfman is horrible, and perhaps that is part of the filmmakers’ strategy. Each scene barrels by with such frantic scene that the audience never has the chance to let any acting, ambiance or visuals sink in. You get the impression that everyone involved (except the always-delightful Emily Blunt) was so embarrassed by the project, they were looking to get it over as soon as possible. Read more »
There is a good scene partway through Remember Me, Robert Pattinson’s newest appeal to America’s loins. In it, Tyler (Pattinson) and his girlfriend (Emilie de Ravin) list off fat New York Yankee players to irk Tyler’s rich, insensitive, Yankee-loving father (Pierce Brosnan). It’s a welcome comedic moment in a film that generally feels smothered by its’ desire to be taken seriously. Read more »
The Crazies needed a Keanu Reeves type: someone to look worried for minutes on end only to crack a half-smile so easy and reassuring, it could only come from the mouth of a genuine movie star. Timothy Olyphant as sheriff David Dutton is not blessed with this gift. He is stiffer than most of the zombies he battles off. Olyphant belongs in a Michael Mann movie or a shaving commercial. Read more »
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