Daily Archives: January 13, 2013

A great treachery is revealed, a great light is snuffed out and the final quest is set up in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, an emotional and involving installment in the hit-or-miss Harry movie series.

The kid looks bored. Two movies into the lifeless Harry Potter franchise, and wee mop top Danny Radcliffe’s looks of perpetual surprise and delight and fear have blended into one long grimace. Can you hear the “How much are they … Continue reading →

There are no eye-rolling pauses to stare at this new magical prop or that extra-special special effect. No time for time-killing Quidditch matches. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” is a brisk, bracing film of actors in close-up. … Continue reading →

The finale to the Harry Potter saga is, like most of the films in the series, a bit of a slog. But it’s a generally satisfying slog — two hours of wrapping up loose ends, saying fond, if not exactly … Continue reading →

They answer doors, cook and serve meals, change diapers and raise children for parents who are, supposedly, too busy to bother. They do all this with an air of invisibility, ignored except when they’re being snapped at. And through it … Continue reading →

Can a 3D horror movie be a thing of beauty? In the case of the remake of “Fright Night,” the answer is “Yes!” This violent and violently funny vampire tale covers no new ground, sporting the same jokey tone as … Continue reading →

Kim Jee-woon’s “I Saw the Devil” is a thriller that makes you wish you knew how to scream “O.M.G.” in Korean.

There’s a melancholy verse from W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues that carries everything you need to know about age and regret in a single line. “I hate to see that evening sun go down, ’cause it makes me think I’m … Continue reading →

“That’s What I Am” is a “Flipped” style period piece about tolerance, learning people’s true value and the cruelty of childhood. It stars the always terrific Ed Harris as a beloved teacher threatened by rumors about his sexuality in 1960s … Continue reading →