The Way stars Martin Sheen as an eye doctor who goes to France after his son (the film’s director and one of Martin’s real life sons, Emilio Estevez) dies in an accident at the beginning of a pilgrimage. Once there, he decides the best way to honor Emilio is to do the pilgrimage himself, taking [...]
Read MoreIn my experience, any actual entertainment value to be found in a Brett Ratner movie has no correlation to the man’s (at best) questionable directorial skills, but to something beyond his control. With the Rush Hour flicks, it was Jackie Chan, while I would have seen X-Men 3 even if David Lynch had directed it. [...]
Read MoreOnce upon a time, there was a television actor who was so ridiculously handsome he became a Tiger Beat heartthrob, a situation which so troubled him he has spent his entire career aiming not to be one. This actor, groomed for stardom, began taking roles in quirky, off-beat comedies where his looks rarely, if ever, [...]
Read MoreRecent studies on brain development in young adults make the case that overall maturity takes longer to kick in than previously thought, and the self-centered behavior and lack of judgement exhibited on the part of young people during this time may serve a real purpose in the long term. As adults we learn from risks [...]
Read MoreWhat a great viewing weekend. First I watched 50/50 (again), which for me was one of the best comedies – dramedies, really – of 2011 or any year. I’m even re-thinking Seth Rogen. Then I previewed Today’s Special and loved that film as well. Both of these movies are highly recommendable.
Read MoreToast, based on a memoir by Nigel Slater, tells the story of a young boy’s interest in food as it leads him through childhood and into adult life. Set in Britain in the 60′s, the story starts with young Nigel (Oscar Kennedy), a seemingly unobtrusive boy, who wants lots of fancy food, but his Mum [...]
Read MoreI loved this movie. Midnight in Paris was lauded by the critics as well, and is up, so far, for Golden Globe and Independent Spirit awards. The DVD release has been much anticipated. Woody Allen has written a wonderful screenplay that is both unique and also evocative of some of his older work. The movie [...]
Read MoreHaving recently turned The Fog and The Hitcher into uninspired rehashes, Hollywood finally gets an ’80s horror remake (mostly) right with its sleek makeover of 1985′s memorable vampire flick Fright Night, an excellent example of how good casting, a sharp script and just the right kinds of tweaks to the original story can result in [...]
Read MoreWhile I can’t say I’m surprised that The Hangover Part II is basically a bigger, shinier version of the inexplicably popular 2009 comedy that made stars of Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis, I can say for certain that I liked it a lot more than the original. It’s a rare example of more not being [...]
Read MoreTom Hanks has a peculiar outlook on life in Southern California, at least compared with his peers in show business: He genuinely seems to like it.
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