Monthly Archives: January 2013

“Step Up: Miami Heat” taps into the dance “flash mob” phenomenon and moves to Miami to give us the sunniest and most entertaining of these kids-gotta-dance musicals. The flash mobs — in traffic, dancing on the roofs, hoods and trunks … Continue reading →

The commandos are grizzled and grinning, loaded into choppers, zipping into trouble spots and dealing death with skill and stealth. “I love this job!” one declares. And afterwards, after silently sniping away at the bad guys, tossing a well-timed grenade … Continue reading →

Showbiz cliches so old they had mold on them back in the Irene Cara Era are dusted off for the remake of “Sparkle,” a musical melodrama set in the golden age of girl groups.

The young couple drive into a garage at an address they’ve been given. They strip, shower and put on surgical gowns. Then they’re handcuffed and blindfolded and driven to an undisclosed location. The preparations are ritualistic, elaborate. But they’re just … Continue reading →

There is but a faint hint of “barbarian” in the gloomy snowscapes, grim sword and scimitar duels and epic struggles against demons of “Solomon Kane,” the film based on the further fantasy writings of Robert E. “Conan the Barbarian” Howard. … Continue reading →

“Sinister” goes about as far as a horror movie can with just shocking images, a good cast and outstanding sound design. But this modestly creepy blend of “The Ring” and “The Shining” whiffs on a horror film fundamental. Nobody seems … Continue reading →

A horror movie that works cuts through analysis, shrugs off opinions and snobbery and eschews complexity — either in technique or in budget. You know it works when the hairs on the back of your neck rise. It’s a visceral … Continue reading →

All horror movies are somebody’s vision of Hell, but few are set in as convincing a vision as the “Silent Hill” films.

For half an hour or more, “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is as lost and out of sorts as its title.

The movie-loving world years ago split into two camps — those who have given up on Nicolas Cage, considering everything he touches these days to be tainted, and those who still see the actor underneath the bad, or at least … Continue reading →