In an unnamed African nation, child soldiers wield guns and machetes, swallow fistfuls of pills and hunt for a rebel leader called “The Boxer”. A coffee plantation is falling apart with no one to bring in the harvest. Workers are threatened by government soldiers, marauding bands of thugs, and their own liberation movement. In White [...]
Read More blu-ray, Claire Denis, drama, DVD, Isabelle Huppert, Unrate, war, White MaterialMarwencol is among the more fascinating documentaries I’ve seen in some time, and probably my favorite of still-young 2011. Its focus is Mark Hogancamp, who in 2000 was beaten to within an inch of his life by five young men outside of a bar in Kingston, NY. He awoke from a coma nine days later, [...]
Read More blu-ray, documentary, Jeff Malmberg, Marwencol, willI was about 10 years old when the original Tron hit theaters in 1982, so I have a certain fondness for it. It just looked so cool, with the Light Cycle races and giant ships, rendered via very early computer graphics, and the actors clad in glowing costumes with glowing Frisbees strapped to their backs. [...]
Read More action, adventure, blu-ray, Bruce Boxleitner, David, DVD, Garrett Hedlund, jeff bridges, Joseph Kosinski, Michael Sheen, PG-, Sci-Fi, Tron: LegacyMinutes ago, a small child did the conga all the way down the stairs to bring me a DVD box. He was no slouch, there was some passion there. He kept doing the conga as his mother paid for his movie. I mention this so my next line makes a little more sense. I Love [...]
Read More blu-ray, comedy, drama, DVD, Ewan McGregor, I Love You Phillip Morris, Jim Carrey, R, romanceWhen I walked out of the theater after seeing Black Swan for the first time, I thought to myself, “Hey, this cinema thing might still have some fresh juice in it after all.” Love it or hate it, I don’t see many people accusing this film of being stale or unoriginal. That said, though I [...]
Read More Black Swan, blu-ray, Darren Aronofsky, drama, DVD, Mila Kunis, Mystery, Natalie Portman, R, thriller, Vincent Cassel, WInona RyderMan, did I not want to watch Fair Game. I remember the actual events, and I just wasn’t in the mood to relive the mistakes of the Younger Bush administration. Also, I’m not a big Sean Penn fan. He strikes me as kind of a jerk most times. I’m sure he’s lovely in person.
Read More biography, blu-ray, Doug Liman, drama, DVD, Fair Game, Joe Wilson, Naomi Watts, Noah, PG-13, Sean Penn, thriller, Valerie PlameDisney apparently wanted to go back to its roots with its 50th animated feature, and so, a la Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, took yet another dark children’s story about a girl in trouble and turned it into Tangled, a sprightly and thoroughly entertaining family flick full of beautiful animation and bouncy musical numbers.
Read More animation, blu-ray, comedy, David, Disney, DVD, family, Mandy Moore, PG-, Rapunzel, Tangled, Zachary LeviIn 1968 at the Ford Motor Company’s factory in Dagenham, England, the roof leaks and it’s sweltering in the section that turns out seat covers for the Ford Escort. Women “man” the sewing machines and blouses are doffed to make the workday bearable. The girls are working class and full of “can-do“ spunk but as [...]
Read More blu-ray, Bob Hoskins, comedy, drama, DVD, History, Made In Dagenham, Nigel Cole, R, Sally HawkinsI would have to agree with the theory that Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie were nominated for Golden Globes for their performances in the critically-maligned The Tourist because the foreign press just wanted them at the ceremony, as the film more than lives up to its reputation as a preposterous piece of international intrigue.
Read More action, Angelina Jolie, blu-ray, David, drama, DVD, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Johnny Depp, paul bettany, PG-13, romance, Steven Berkoff, The TouristHow Do You Know was a real disappointment. You’d think that a cast that included Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson, could pull off a decent Rom Com, but alas, this was a poorly scripted effort, the plotline was not well-developed, and the only actor who even began to inhabit his role [...]
Read More blu-ray, comedy, drama, DVD, How Do You Know, Jack Nicholson, James L. Brooks, Janusz Kaminski, joyce, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, PG-13, Reese Witherspoon, romance