Movies
Review: Film proves Jackson still had ‘It’
Watching "Michael Jackson's This Is It" will have fans grieving once again, but this time, it won't only be for the fallen King of Pop, but for what we lost - a brilliant entertainer who gave every inch of his body and soul for what might have been one of the most spectacular comebacks of…
Oct 30, 2009 | 12:15 am | Loading…
’40s ‘Lodger’ best of many Jack the Ripper films
Unsolved crimes often have been of interest to writers, with their built-in mysteries and intrigue, not to mention the salacious appeal that makes them something of a guilty pleasure, particularly when concerned with crimes committed long ago.
Oct 24, 2009 | 11:00 pm | Loading…
‘Astro Boy’ never takes flight
The animated "Astro Boy" is a shiny hodgepodge of "Pinocchio," "WALL-E," "Oliver Twist," "Gladiator" and "Superman," with some obvious visual touches taken from "The Iron Giant." As its own entity, though, it's pretty forgettable.
Oct 23, 2009 | 6:00 pm | Loading…
Unexpected satire found in latest ‘Saw’
"You have seen the errors in your policy," Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) hisses in the latest "Saw" movie. And, kids, he's hissing a pun at Big Insurance when he does, the profiteers who determine "who lives and who dies."
Oct 23, 2009 | 5:00 pm | Loading…
‘Amelia’ circles, never lands
Considering the risks Amelia Earhart took, losing her life in the call of aviation, Hilary Swank and director Mira Nair don't put much on the line in their film biography "Amelia."
Oct 22, 2009 | 3:00 pm | Loading…
Filmmaker shows how technology is isolating
The films of Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan often have dealt with the increasingly isolating effects brought on by technology's new modes of communications, an irony not lost on the inventive filmmaker.
Oct 17, 2009 | 12:00 pm | Loading…
'Wild Things' adaptation is simply gorgeous
"Where the Wild Things Are," the book, is just 339 words long. But in turning it into "Where the Wild Things Are," the movie, director Spike Jonze has expanded the basic story with a breathtaking visual scheme and stirring emotional impact.
Oct 16, 2009 | 12:15 am | Loading…
‘Retreat’ is far from paradise
"Couples Retreat" suggests what life might have been like if the guys from "Swingers" had grown up, moved to the suburbs and turned into lame, sit-commy cliches.
Oct 08, 2009 | 11:00 pm | Loading…
Past Picks: Catch the splendor of ‘Joe Kidd'
"Joe Kidd" (1972) is without a doubt the most curious of the thirteen Westerns in which Clint Eastwood has starred. That distinction doesn't make it unworthy or without merit, but the film lacks a specific personality.
Oct 04, 2009 | 12:15 am | Loading…
‘Whip It' a whirlwind of girl power
The kind of movie that makes the term "formulaic crowd-pleaser" seem like a good thing, "Whip It" is completely predictable from the first frame. It also is ridiculously, utterly entertaining.
Oct 02, 2009 | 12:15 am | Loading…
Penn left lasting mark with films
Eighty-seven years ago today, director Arthur Penn was born in Philadelphia. Soon after his arrival, Penn's parents separated; he spent most of his early years with his mother and older brother, Irving, who became one of the country's most acclaimed photographers.
Sep 26, 2009 | 11:00 pm | Loading…
'Surrogates' doesn't show us anything all that new
"Surrogates" is itself a surrogate, a kind of stand-in for many of the sci-fi movies of the recent past: In it, you'll recognize the ideas of "Blade Runner," "Minority Report" and even "WALL-E."
Sep 25, 2009 | 3:00 pm | Loading…
‘Fame’ lacks original’s edge
"Fame," the original "high school musical," earns a sometimes toe-tapping remake that borrows scenes, situations and character "types" from its 1980 original.
Sep 24, 2009 | 6:00 pm | Loading…
Director’s death failed to get proper attention
When film director Ken Annakin died this past April at 94, there was hardly any mention of it; his passing went practically unnoticed, and because of his limited stature, there were no retrospectives of his movies or in-depth obituaries.
Sep 19, 2009 | 11:00 am | Loading…
'Jennifer's Body' not as hot as it should be
"Jennifer's Body," the second screenplay from Diablo Cody following her Oscar-winning debut smash "Juno," is so chock full of her quirky trademarks, it almost plays like a parody of something she'd write.
Sep 17, 2009 | 6:00 pm | Loading…
The joke's on us with 'The Informant!'
The exclamation point in the title is your first clue that Steven Soderbergh's intentions are more than a little askew with "The Informant!''
Sep 17, 2009 | 4:00 pm | Loading…
'Love Happens,' as do soggy cliches
Love supposedly happens in "Love Happens." We'll have to take their word for it.
Sep 17, 2009 | 2:00 pm | Loading…
‘Sorority Row’ is cheesy fun
The ending of "Sorority Row" is bad - cheesy, worn-out, seen it in 78 horror movies before. It's almost awful enough to make you forget that the movie that came before it is - as R-rated youth-horror films go - kind of fun. It's all cheese, but at least this cheese, for the most part, doe…
Sep 12, 2009 | 6:00 pm | Loading…
Jimmy Gillman's Past Picks: Stars shine in ‘China Moon'
The trick in making a successful genre movie is to ensure a high degree of style and mood since, by definition, the genre approach has its obvious limitations, seeking as it does to replicate a specific formula and framework.
Sep 06, 2009 | 12:15 am | Loading…
‘Summer’ gives new spin to boy-meets-girl plotline
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries to win girl back: It's a tale you've heard a million times before. But it's told in such a relatable, inventive way in "(500) Days of Summer," it almost feels like the first time.
Aug 27, 2009 | 2:00 pm | Loading…
