Monthly Archives: January 2013

Critic’s Log — Tonight’s screening, “Gangster Squad”

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Roger Moore

Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie & Co. are out to deal with Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) in late 1940s/early’50s LA in this old school gangland picture. “Gangster Squad” had Oscar buzz up until the day Warners moved it into … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: “Dragon” is a martial arts CSI meets “A History of Violence”

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Roger Moore

Two hardened criminals drop in to rob a store. They beat the daylights out of the proprietor, his wife. An employee cowers behind a counter, until he summons up his guts and hurls himself at the brutes. And as others … Continue reading →

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Is Warners serious about making a new “Godzilla”?

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Roger Moore

A couple of producers on board Gareth Edward’s “Godzilla” project with Warners have “departed.” But the film supposedly now has a pretty firm start date. Seriously? It occurred to me on first hearing about this that Warners announced it to … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: “Red Lights”

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

Here’s one thing the movies get wrong pretty consistently — the reaction of seemingly rational people upon seeing the supernatural, the impossible, the miraculous. “Red Lights” is a promising psychological thriller that gets that detail just right.

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Movie Review: “Take This Waltz,” Canadian content, yes, but not much else

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

Canadian actress-turned-director Sarah Polley landed Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman for her first directorial outing since the Oscar-nominated “Away From Her.” Unfortunately, the mopey anti-romance she stuck them in didn’t take advantage of their full talents, and the … Continue reading →

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Sally Potter’s latest, “Ginger & Rosa,” featuring Elle Fanning, Annette Bening, Oliver Platt, Timothy Spall and Christina Hendricks

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

So Sally “Orlando” Potter’s latest is a poetic coming of age piece set during the alarming nuclear fears of the 1960s. Looks intriguing, and that cast is pretty sure-handed in picking good pictures. “Ginger & Rosa” has already opened in … Continue reading →

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Box Office: “Chainsaw” $23, “Django-saw” $20

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

A decent-enough opening weekend of the year at the box office, with the lone “new” wide release doing $23 million, at 3D ticket prices. “Texas Chainsaw 3D” wins with a $23 million take. “Django Unchained” is holding audience better than … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: “Star Trek” gets a J.J. Abrams re-boot, and boost

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

It took decades of increasingly mediocre TV series and Data-dull movies to beat Star Trek to death. But J.J. Abrams brings it all back to basics, and back to life, with a rousing “How Scotty Met Sulu” prequel about how … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: “50/50”

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

As frightening as the word is, you don’t put “cancer” in a movie’s title if you want people to come see it. Thus, the serio-comic “I’m With Cancer” was renamed “50/50.” Those are our hero’s odds of surviving the malignancy … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: “Courageous”

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Roger Moore

It’s interesting to track the growing cinematic sophistication of those preaching/filmmaking brothers of Sherwood Baptist Church from “Facing the Giants” to their breakout hit “Fireproof” to their latest film. Writer Stephen Kendrick and writer-director-actor Alex Kendrick have mastered building suspense, … Continue reading →

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