How does a person properly prepare oneself to meet their parents for the first time? This question, along with many others, is answered in the documentary, “Going Home.”
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A British playboy in his 30s seducing a 16-year-old girl is hardly Hollywood's definition of a love story. But "An Education" hands off the relationship to a pair of actors that not only take the borderline-pedophilia outside of creepy Roman Polanski territory, but into a sweet, romantic tale of a bright schoolgirl's coming-of-age in 1961 England.
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Adapted children's book pleases its young audience members
In Maurice Sendak’s beloved book “Where the Wild Things Are,” the ferocious beasts roar their terrible roars, gnash their terrible teeth, roll their terrible eyes and show their terrible claws. In Spike Jonze’s latest film adaptation, the wild things are misunderstood, moody creatures that are anything but terrible.
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“New York, I Love You,” the afterthought to French charmer, “Paris, je t’aime” (Paris, I Love You), may not be as promising as the title suggests.
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In 1996, a group of elementary school basketball players teamed up in Akron, Ohio. Within the next nine years, the team transitioned into high school players winning two state championships and, in their senior year, a national title. Now all in their mid-20s, the group is still friends. Oh, and one of those players is Cleveland Cavaliers perennial NBA All-Star, LeBron James.
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'Paranormal Activity' wows viewers despite low budget
Every once in a while there comes one of those rare, original horror movies that actually lives up to its hype. Oren Peli’s directorial debut “Paranormal Activity” is one of those films. Shot in his own home for less than $15,000 over a period of seven days, Peli inadvertently set a new standard for minimalist, micro-budget horror.
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“Enjoy the little things” is the message of Columbia Pictures’ new horror-comedy “Zombieland.” Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), an unlikely young hero who lives by his own set of survival rules, introduces audiences to a world where nearly every human on earth has been infected with a zombie virus.
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Despite a butt-kicking female cast, film falls short
“Bliss” is defined as a type of supreme happiness. In the new film “Whip It,” however, Bliss is a 17-year-old girl who is anything but happy.
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If anyone knows how to throw a movie premiere, it’s definitely Tucker Max. The premiere of “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” the movie adaptation of Max’s book of the same name, was just as hilarious as the book itself. Those lined up outside the Landmark Ken Cinema waited anxiously as the premiere got off to a bit of a late start, but were entertained by the emcee comedian Bill Dawes, who ridiculed people brave enough to engage in an interview with him. Before the actual showing, Max, his co-writer Nils Parker and the rest of the crew gave audience members the opportunity to share their craziest or most embarrassing story for a chance to win a beer pong set.
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Before viewing “Pandorum,” it’s important to be aware of the symptoms that are attributed to such an experience. “It starts with a shiver, an itch, a slow boil … the biological side effects of flying deep space, feeding into paranoia.”
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Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel is one of the most renowned fashion influences of the last century, building an empire of clothing, accessory, shoe and perfume that continues to be idolized worldwide.
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Corn is in everything: syrup, cereal and even pet food. It’s the most grown crop worldwide and no one knows as much about corn than Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), the main character in director Steven Soderbergh’s newest movie “The Informant!” This movie’s dry humor, eclectic cast of characters and caper film (comical-crime subgenre) structure makes “The Informant!” a unique and entertaining film for all audiences.
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Balboa Park is home to many museums and has plenty to offer any San Diego local looking for a new gallery to visit. Unique among these galleries, however, is the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, which provides a hands-on experience with science and boasts Southern California’s only IMAX theater. Currently, the IMAX theater is showing three different films: “Adventures in Wild California,” “Under the Sea” and “Bugs!” each showing an average of three times a day.
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Sony film portrays a town that gets edibly stormed in by a barrage of tasty foods
In the mood for a big, juicy cheeseburger? How about some steamy macaroni and cheese? In the small town of Swallow Falls in Sony Pictures Animation’s newest film “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” a person’s greatest craving may just fall from the sky. Never has a movie been more mouth- watering.
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New York Giants fans may want to brace themselves before viewing this sad tale
The types of personalities that call into sports talk radio (and, more recently, writings on sports blog comment sections) animate themselves through a rabid devotion to their respective sports teams. Comedian Patton Oswalt takes on such a personality in the upcoming film “Big Fan.”
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The Baader Meinhof Complex boasts stars of other notable German films
Of all countries, Germany is probably the model for using film as a cathartic art form, as is evident in the 2008 film “The Baader Meinhof Complex.” Based on the nonfiction novel of the same name, this Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated film is stirring but rather removed from the contemporary non-European viewer. However, coming from a background where the events of this film are relatively unknown makes this film suspenseful and engaging. Director Uli Edel shows the creation of the German terrorist group the Red Army Faction up to its pinnacle in the “German Autumn” of 1977.
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Recent film teems with anecdotes and history on three generations of epic rock guitarists
It’s rare that a documentary focuses on its subjects long enough for the audience to truly connect, but the recently released “It Might Get Loud” does just that, with the subjects being three generations of rock royalty in Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2) and Jack White (The White Stripes).
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Has anyone ever told you, “You’re not funny”? For the majority of aspiring comedians, this is a ubiquitous phrase to hear, because well, they usually aren’t that funny.
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I am going to go ahead and start this article by telling you that Charlyne Yi is really adorable. Sure, some may not see the appeal, but I think that after people see her in “Paper Heart,” a movie where she plays herself and sets out across America to find out if love is real, she’ll be the comedienne everyone’s talking about.
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On paper, it’s a film formula that appears nearly perfect. Take a script written by literary superstars Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida (their first foray into screenwriting, by the way), attach “American Beauty” and “Revolutionary Road” helmsman Sam Mendes to direct, throw John Krasinski from “The Office” and former “Saturday Night Live” standout Maya Rudolph into the lead roles, and pepper it all with a talented supporting cast that includes Catherine O’Hara and Jeff Daniels as Krasinski’s parents.
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'Tyson' traverses the ups and downs of the infamous boxer’s very troubled life
Cannes and Sundance Film Festival’s darling, “Tyson,” is a rare documentary that gives its subject — former heavyweight champion and full-time controversy courter Mike Tyson — total control over a singular perspective of his life. Divisive issues that have surrounded Tyson’s identity and placed him in the media’s eye for less-than-desirable reasons seemed to slip from this film’s hands.
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If you’re a fan of the Marvel X-Men comic book series, then you’re probably aware of Wolverine’s classic tagline, “I am the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn’t very nice.” And for Hugh Jackman, who has reprised the role as Wolverine for the fourth time in the latest installment of the “X-Men” film series, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” there is no one who could emotionally or physically portray this complex character any better, or look any sexier doing it, than him.
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'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' explores the detriments of serial dating and dumping
Some actors fill a particular niche. And for Matthew McConaughey, that niche is a tan and attractive lady-killer. Reprising his oh-so-familiar role as Mr. Attractive, similar to those played in chick flick classics such as “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Failure to Launch,” McConaughey again delivers a laughably lust-worthy performance.
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Remember when watching a film in 3-D was limited to late-night horror films and Disneyland attractions? Captain EO, anyone? The technology was usually limited to tricks involving flying objects jumping out of the screen, causing the audience to wince thinking they were about to get clobbered by a giant pole that just fell over.
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The IMAX Theater is God’s entertainment gift to the masses, where young and old alike can come together and be engulfed in its awesome dome-shaped magnificence.
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Staring out into the dry, alien world with a glass barrier protecting them from suffocation, fish kept as pets must get quite a unique view of the land-based world. Now, anyone who has ever wanted such an experience can do just that, but from a landlubber’s perspective.
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Narrated by James Earl Jones, 'Earth' captures our planet's inner-spirit
The crazy and uncoordinated antics of young animals captured on film and set to an emotionally charged score is a trademark Disney recipe for success. Disney’s latest release, “Earth” is no exception.
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If you think Seth Rogen’s newest acting gig in mall cop film, “Observe and Report” might as well be titled, “Paul Blart 2: Son of Blart,” think again.
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It’s no coincidence the baseball drama “Sugar” came to theaters April 3 alongside the start of the baseball season here in America, and immediately following the end of the second World Baseball Classic. While the film certainly stands alone as a captivating character study of a Dominican pitcher nicknamed Sugar, it will also rely on getting baseball fans to the theater for its success.
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Whoever thought that Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon and writer/director of “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” Rawson Marshall Thurber would team up for a film adaptation? Anyone familiar with Chabon’s literary achievements and the antics of Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn in Thurber’s 2004 comedy knows this looks like a bigger mismatch than North Carolina and Michigan State in last Monday’s NCAA title game. But, somehow, it works and the director’s sophomore film, an adaptation of Chabon’s rookie 1988 novel, “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” is a decent attempt to adapt a complex story for the silver screen.
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Because “4 Fast 4 Furious” doesn’t sound too flattering, and doesn’t remotely make sense, someone high up at Columbia Pictures decided to mercifully take the words “the” out of the title, cutting the amount of energy used to say the title in half for all of us.
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After the success of the 2006’s mega-hit “Superbad,” director Greg Mottola felt a great deal of pressure to continue crafting equally hilarious films, especially those that reel in the 18- to 30-year-old bracket, which is a demographic worth keeping. On top of that, every trailer or poster advertising his next film, “Adventureland,” set to release on April 3, let audiences know that he, in fact, was the mastermind behind the exploits of Seth, Evan and McLovin. So, the question is: How does “Adventureland” measure up?
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New comedy, 'I Love You, Man,' explores the complex relationships between men
According to actor Paul Rudd, the only duties of a best man are to “try and talk (the groom) out of it.” But what if a groom doesn’t have a best man?
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Sometimes 'life gets messy,' but Adams and Blunt clean up
Biohazard removal and crime scene cleanup are not the easiest of jobs. First, there are the unpleasant odors associated with death. Second, there’s always bright, sticky blood involved. Third, there’s the potential risk of encountering stray body parts. But someone’s got to do it and in “Sunshine Cleaning,” it’s the Lorkowski sisters who take on the job.Biohazard removal and crime scene cleanup are not the easiest of jobs. First, there are the unpleasant odors associated with death. Second, there’s always bright, sticky blood involved. Third, there’s the potential risk of encountering stray body parts. But someone’s got to do it and in “Sunshine Cleaning,” it’s the Lorkowski sisters who take on the job.
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Take the structure of “Crash,” the Asian gangs of “Gran Torino” and mix it in with an immigration-centered plot paired with a Nancy Drew-like murder mystery — what comes out? It’s the new film “Crossing Over,” starring Harrison Ford and a half-dozen other stars who pare down their stellar acting skills a notch to be in this ensemble film.
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If you like cheap tricks, John Malkovich and kooky, colorful characters, then head over to a Landmark Theater near you to check out “The Great Buck Howard” later this month.
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In 1985, Ronald Reagan was sworn in for a second term, the San Francisco 49ers won Super Bowl XIX; the first artificial heart was successfully transplanted; South Africa ended its ban on interracial marriages; and the Nintendo Entertainment System was released. The next year, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons produced a graphic novel that encapsulated a generation. In 1986, their creation, “Watchmen,” was a time capsule of Vietnam and Communist scares set in an alternate-reality 1985. In 2009, “Watchmen” is a reflection of terrorism, the infamous “axis of evil,” and of that elusive goal — peace.
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'Beautiful Losers' follows the lives of those who make art out of the ordinary
If you wanted to see something that didn’t already exist, would you have the creativity to just do it yourself? To create it, breathe it and live it?
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Even with Fisher's acting chops, this movie is lacking
In our dying economy filled with jobless citizens, what could possibly be furthest from our minds? How about excessive shopping, and climbing deeper into the hole of debt. “Confessions of A Shopaholic” sadly comes to theaters at a bad time.
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If he won’t text, call, e-mail, MySpace or talk to you, it’s because he’s “just not that into you.” At least, that is the premise of Hollywood’s latest romantic comedy.
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The Oscar panel made quite a mistake by overlooking one of the most moving pictures released in 2008 — “Gran Torino.”
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There’s a scene in “Wendy and Lucy” where Michelle Williams’ character, Wendy Carroll, is walking in front of a brick wall scrawled with graffiti. One word stands out on the dusty red wall, the blue and white spray point seemingly illuminated: “Goner.”
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Interview with actor Mark Feuerstein
Sometimes, screenwriters get overzealous. For instance, should a film ever attempt to be a poignant Holocaust story, a love triangle, an action film, a portrait of two brothers who quarrel about matters of morality and faith and then add in historic elements of a place in World War II Europe that most people can’t even point out on a map? The answer is no.
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Sometimes, you can just tell when a film is going to surprise you. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is such a film.
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One rodent with big aspirations 'stars' in 'Tale of Despereaux'
When a pint-sized mouse with larger-than-life aspirations sets out on a quest for integrity to save a lovely human princess, Mouse World, Rat World and the human world all come crashing together in a thrilling battle of anger, love and forgiveness. At least that’s what happens in Universal Pictures’ version of the new animated film, “The Tale of Despereaux.”
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Will Smith's latest film is undoubtedly his darkest role ever
Will Smith is teaming up with director Gabriele Muccino once again, but this time it isn’t for a rosy film that ties itself in a neat, chipper bow at the end like “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
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There seems to have never been a time in European history as horrific as the events that occurred after Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany took power in 1933. Known as the Holocaust, or Ha-Shoah, this moment in our past has been revisited numerous times throughout cinematic history in order to convey the attempt to exterminate and massacre all Jewish people, ethnic Poles, Romanians and other so-called “social undesirables,” such as homosexuals or the physically and mentally disabled.
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This film chronicles the birth of Motown music greats during the turbulent times of the 1950s
“Don’t worry where I’m from. My wife’s gonna drive a Cadillac.” That’s what future record executive and owner of Chess Records, Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody), shouted defiantly in one of the first scenes from the film “Cadillac Records.” It turns out that not only would his wife drive a Cadillac, but so would almost everyone he knew.
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With a dash of teen romance, a hint of comedy, a pinch of action and a hefty helping of vampire, you’ve got yourself the recipe for the most sought after flick of the season: “Twilight.”
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Director Gus Van Sant’s quality filmmaking has struck again with the thought-provoking biopic “Milk.” “Milk” tells the story of the rise and fall of America’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. With an all-star cast including Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Josh Brolin, this film delivers an eye-opening account of the fight for gay rights in the 1970s
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The 007 franchise has suffered in the past, but thankfully 'Quantum of Solace' adheres to the roots
“When you start featuring Halle Berry and a giant laser beam controlled by a Korean guy whom underwent a Michael Jackson procedure to bleach himself white, it’s time to go” - that’s how M’s line from the trailer of “Quantum of Solace” should have been after seeing the last of the “Pierce Brosnan 007” films.
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‘Role Models’ will make you rethink driving drunk for sure
In a time of crappy movies, “Role Models” is a delight.
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“Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” Intriguing title, isn’t it? The movie itself is just as interesting and entertaining.
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Box office smash 'Max Payne' lets viewers enjoy the ride without thinking
In 2001 there was a PlayStation 2 game titled “Max Payne,” that, despite its dorky name, managed to sell more than five million copies and set the bar for the role of story lines and theatrics in video games. With the introduction of the game, the line between movies and video games began to blur for the first time. Now, seven years later, director John Moore has created a film adaptation with Mark Wahlberg as the movie’s over-stylized, awesomely suicidal hero.
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“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” plays out like a high quality YouTube video. A group of teenagers who haphazardly end up hanging out for the night, exploring streets of New York City in search of a very drunk friend and the secret location where their favorite band Where’s Fluffy? is playing.
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Inspired by a true story of the first African-American to win the much revered Heisman Trophy, this film not only follows the journey of a talented football player it emphasizes the conflict behind the civil revolution churning in our country that was on the brink of exploding.
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‘Trouble the Water’ shows the destruction of Hurricane Katrina
Aug. 29, 2005: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in southeast Louisiana. It was supposed to be a Category 3 hurricane, one not expected to cause excessive damage. But the levee system in New Orleans was weak. And the Category 3 hurricane turned out to be a Category 5.
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The Spite Shorts: Little films with big ambitions hit San Diego Film Festival
San Diego was buzzing this weekend, and the movie reels didn't take any breaks. One of the most memorable nights was Saturday when a collection of short films, the Spite Short Film Series, was presented in clusters and ranged from the controversial to the comical.
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A real story that defies Hollywood drama
It's the kind of film that gives hope that good filmmaking is still alive and kicking in the midst of so many films created for a Hollywood-dependent society. Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme returns to a style that once defined him long before making it in the Hollywood scene with films such as " The Silence of the Lambs," "Philadelphia" and "The Manchurian Candidate."
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Kiera Knighly reigns supreme as The Duchess of Devonshire
Keira Knightley breathes life into Georgiana Cavenaish, The Duchess of Devonshire in "The Duchess," directed by Saul Dibb, just as author Amanda Foreman did in the original biography "Georgiana: The Duchess of Devonshire."
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New WWII memoir film reminds us that 'Miracles are the only sure things in life'
Why would a postal worker with the prestigious Purple Heart, no debts, no enemies and a clean record, be sentenced to 25 years in prison? Some may find this bizarre, but until you see "Miracle at St. Anna," you won't get it.
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A popular question that may come up in a conversation, especially with what can be done with technology in this day and age, has been brought to the silver screen, again. "What if computers become too powerful?"
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Richard M. Nixon was the best president of America. OK, so probably not, but Nixon was definitely the most publicly crooked, overzealous president that the United States has ever had. And while for some that may not exactly make him the best, it certainly makes him the most interesting.
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