As stark film noirs and political/crime dramas proliferate and the political practice of extraordinary rendition gains more and more notoriety (through documentary films and movies like Academy Award-winner Taxi to the Dark Side), Rendition arrives to present a compelling hybrid of entertainment and politically minded content. With much of contemporary political coverage in America focusing on the...[Read More]

Despite a prominent supporting role played by the increasingly popular Keira Knightley, I’m not sure that Silk even received a nationwide debut in the U.S., and, if it did, the release was certainly not surrounded by much publicity. Perhaps this was for this best, though, as I’m not sure that this artful love story has blockbuster potential. With lovely images but a somewhat underdeveloped story, ...[Read More]

 I had so much hope for this film. I really did. It had been long overdue to be made into a live-action film. The 1986 movie (which was animated) really did the series justice and even brought about new tales in the different renditions of the overall storyline. When there was a gigantic truck at Comicon a few years back with the movie release date, I was giddy. When Steven Spielberg’s name came u...[Read More]

Wild Hogs is a fairly predictable comedy about four middle-aged men trying to regain their lost youth and prove to themselves that they’re not all washed up. It’s a story you’ve seen before, but what makes this worth spending time watching is who the four actors are: Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy and John Travolta. Odd assortment, right? The group clicks pretty well given how dissimi...[Read More]

Venus offers something we rarely see now: really meaty roles for older actors. It stars giants Peter O’Toole and Vanessa Redgrave, plus the lesser known (at least in the U.S.) Leslie Phillips and relative newcomer Jodie Whittaker.

Edgar Allan Poe. The name instantly evokes images of ravens, catacombs and pendulums—and rightfully so. His works are so utterly disturbing that they leave a lasting impression on most anyone who reads them. Perhaps his most famous short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, tells the chilling story of twins Roderick and Madeline Usher, through the eyes of an unnamed narrator.

 What happens when a child is left in a jungle? Well only the most obvious thing! Animals raise him, accept him and then try to get rid of him. 

I was a little skeptical about the early buzz on The Queen. Could it really be that good? Could Helen Mirren’s performance as Elizabeth II be as great as the critics were claiming? When I finally got to see the film in the theater, the answers were yes and yes.

There are movies that somehow fail to garner much critical or public attention despite being really very good. “The Good German” is one of those movies. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric, excellently acted, suspenseful drama. If you missed it in the theatre (and that wouldn’t have been hard to do in many markets), WATCH it.

I’ve rarely been as confused by a film as I was by The Fountain. It’s billed in its trailer as a time travel love story, and by its co-writers in the special features as science fiction; I can see elements of both in it, but nothing that really holds it together as a coherent story. And because of that lack, it’s very, very hard to figure out just what’s happening.

Let’s face it: Disney is the undisputed king of traditional animated movies. From Steamboat Willie to The Emperor’s New Groove, the studio has consistently produced top-notch movies that delighted old and young alike with that familiar Disney magic. In the age of computer-animated movies, the story is a bit different. Sure, Disney took part in the extremely successful collaboration that was Toy St...[Read More]

 Why in the world did people not like this film? After watching it nearly six times, I have come to realize that the one true answer to the above question is quite simply… it’s not childish as the others.