Monthly Archives: January 2013

This cinematic sociological experiment has been going on so long that director Michael Apted, who has Bond and Narnia credits under his belt, in addition to “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Enigma” and “Nell” and “Thunderheart,” might be thinking of handing … Continue reading →

The New BET comedy series “Second Generation Wayans” begs the question – have their really only been TWO generations of the professionally funny family that gave us “In Living Color,” the “Scary Movie” franchise, and “White Chicks”? “I’m pretty sure … Continue reading →

The BFCA Awards used to be the most reliable Oscar indicator of awards season. But that’s not likely to be the case this year. The Oscars seemed to limit the field to those already touted other places this year, more … Continue reading →

Editing, knowing what to winnow out, is every bit as important in documentary films as it is in novels, where Hemingway advised us to be ruthless thinning the ranks of our “little darlings.” “Brooklyn Castle” is an overlong but engaging … Continue reading →

“He had time” is the finest compliment the drummer Ginger Baker can give. This fellow or that one has a sense of rhythm that meets with the cranky Cream drummer’s approval. Jay Bulger, an opportunistic journalist, may not have that, … Continue reading →

Kids and other Robert Pattinson fans won’t be running off to join the circus after seeing “Water for Elephants,” the brutish and violent  screen adaptation of Sara Gruen’s novel. Whatever romance  Gruen summoned forth from these rough and tumble show … Continue reading →

“Bridesmaids” is a frat boy’s idea of what a funny “chick flick” should be.  So, hat’s off to Kristen Wiig  and Annie Mumolo for scripting a movie that is a raunchy hoot, that plays to that demographic and yet doesn’t … Continue reading →

Marlon Wayans wrings every last down-and-dirty giggle out of a single joke in “A Haunted House,” his return to “Scary Movie” territory, in truth if not by contract. He’s no longer involved in that series, so he limited himself to … Continue reading →

Three movies go into wide release today. One of them will win the weekend box office race. Will it be the Oscar buzzed/Oscar nominated “Zero Dark Thirty” or the moved-to-January-because-it-had-no-Oscar buzz “Gangster Squad”? Here’s my review of “Zero Dark Thirty,” … Continue reading →

Miranda July takes “twee” about as far as she can, and then some, with “The Future,” her latest, most melancholy romance. The director of “Me and You and Everyone We Know” transcends cute and crosses into precious with this film, … Continue reading →