Monthly Archives: June 2013

Movie Preview: “Closed Circuit” has Bana, Hall and Stiles and a terror trial in camera-covered London

A terrorist act on the most video-wired streets in the world — London. Ex-lover lawyers (Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall) are defending the man accused on carrying out the terrorism. And Julia Stiles is a New York Times reporter covering … Continue reading

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“After Earth” and the Scientology angle — Is it there?

The Hollywood Reporter found a former Scientologist willing to sit through “After Earth” and focus on its Sci-Tol talking points, evidence of Will Smith’s conversion and efforts to promote the group through the film. A few snippets of dialogue — … Continue reading

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Tonight’s screening: “The Purge”

Ethan Hawke’s had some good luck with horror, and “The Purge” has a hint of that. America, legalizing one day a year where there are no laws — and criminal impulses reign — a family barricaded against the mob, but … Continue reading

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“Oblivion” opens HUGE…in Japan

However diminished his status among domestic movie audiences, Tom Cruise is still a very bankable box office star in much of the world. Especially, apparently, in Japan. His latest, “Oblivion,” opened well enough but faded before reaching $100 million in … Continue reading

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Movie Review: “Violet & Daisy” aren’t the cute killers they think they are

“Violet & Daisy” plays like a live-action version of a Japanese manga comic. Lurid and bloody, it has elaborate gunplay and kinky-kitschy lollipop sucking schoolgirls working as assassins to pay for their teen fashions and teen music obsessions. Vintage pop … Continue reading

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Movie Review: “V/H/S 2”

Horror cinema’s latest State of the Abattoir collection, “V/H/S/ 2”, is a properly blood-spattered and chilling collection of shorts — four films from the folks who made “The Blair Witch Project,” “Hobo With a Shotgun,” “The Raid” and “You’re Next.” … Continue reading

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Tonight’s Screening: “V/H/S 2”

An omnibus horror package, short scary as all get out films by multiple directors — including Eddie “Get Ready” Sanchez and Gregg Hale “Fellow Well Met” of “The Blair Witch Project.” This isn’t my favorite genre, but I do see … Continue reading

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Movie Review: “Much Ado About Nothing,” the Whedon version

In Shakespeare’s day, “Nothing” was a double entendre, and a sexual one at that. And “noting” was a sexual innuendo, not to mention a pun on “nothing.” So when the Bard titled his comedy “Much Ado About Nothing,” the man … Continue reading

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Today’s screening: “The Bling Ring”

The beautiful children of the well off do drugs and rob from the better-off in this based-on-a-true-story drama from Sofia Coppola. Emma Watson stars, it goes into limited release June 14. They used Paris Hilton’s tacky LA home for some … Continue reading

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The credits add up, and Andrea Riseborough’s fame and rep grow

It’s been hard to avoid Andrea Riseborough on the big screen this year. The 31 year-old British actress, who first gained notice in this country in Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky” and Madonna’s “W.E.”,  has had four films released in the space … Continue reading

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