Daily Archives: January 1, 2013

In ancient times, before the phrases “Global Warming” and “Peak Oil” ruined our fun, Hollywood used to make car chase comedies, automotive epics that were more about burnt rubber than good acting. An aspiring director like Ron Howard could launch … Continue reading →

For their latest comic trick, Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen go for something that neither has been known for over the course of their respective careers – cute. With “Guilt Trip,” they’ve made a holiday comedy safer for Streisand’s audience … Continue reading →

Here’s something they don’t teach you in acting school. When you’re making a movie and running for your life, you need to look like it. You need to go all out, eyes wild with fear, arms flailing. Look like Pierce … Continue reading →

With rudeness, cruelty and self-absorption now universally heralded American attributes, with cynical political opportunists, unworthy “talents” and lowlifes dominating reality TV, the time is certainly right for a “Falling Down” remake. Which is the jumping off point for “God Bless … Continue reading →

There are always pearls of wisdom in the cinematic sermonettes of Tyler Perry. And even if they’re a tad too obvious, it’s plain that his connection to Oprah has paid off when he has characters in his films talk about … Continue reading →

“The Grey” is an old fashioned survival tale harboring pretensions that it is something more. Not a lot more, just a hint of the  psycho-cerebral, here, a smidge of the primal and primitive there.

Can a single tone-deaf, wince-inducing joke, even one that’s repeated, kill a movie? No. Not a good film. But a marginal one that has trouble finding its tone? Let’s just say wisecracks about spouse abuse don’t help.

Dreamworks Animation president Jeffrey Katzenberg recently lamented the dearth of holiday-themed movies headed to your multiplex this year. But in foisting “Rise of the Guardians” upon unsuspecting audiences for the holidays, it’s clear he just wanted some cover. Other holiday … Continue reading →

That classic “creature feature” “The Thing” earns its third treatment with a film that’s so enthralled with its actual “thing” that it forgets to be scary or suspenseful. A decent cast and a pristine glacial setting are wasted on a … Continue reading →

Four years and four films into “The Twilight Saga,” Robert Pattinson can see the finish line for the role that made him famous. With the release of  the last half of “Breaking Dawn,” he knows that the whirlwind surrounding him … Continue reading →