Wednesday, May 30 2012
What Happens When the Average Guy Suddenly Ain’t So Average: ‘Chronicle’
This film is one of the best examples of the possibilities of the found-footage format.
The Fun Is In the Details: ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Series 3’
He's a Belgian in England; he's short, wears glasses, and is an immaculate dresser with delicate sensibilities. Which is to say, Poirot is about as far from the stock hard-boiled detective as he could possibly be.
Tuesday, May 29 2012
Finding Resolution to ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’
Writer Gwyneth Hughes gallantly strives to solve the biggest mystery of Charles Dickens' Edwin Drood: how it ends.
Films: Father of the Bride 20th Anniversary Edition
Father of the Bride remains an enjoyable comedy with plenty of heart. It's lighthearted and emotive, but, chances are, you can identify with it.
Friday, May 25 2012
The ‘BBC High Definition Natural History Collection’: A Cornucopia of Wonders
This is the definitive portrait of the natural world we live in, but rarely see.
Love is Rarer than Diamonds: ‘Letter Never Sent’
This Soviet-era gem about the hunt for precious stones in Siberia is more alchemy than geology.
Thursday, May 24 2012
Avengers Assembled! ‘Ultimate Avengers Movie Collection’
These films are the spiritual successors to Batman: The Animate Series.
‘Clueless’ Remains as Enjoyable Today as It Was When It Was First Released
Over time, Clueless has only gained a sweetness that perfectly goes hand-in-hand with Heckerling’s quick witted and, at times, biting dialogue to elevate the film above a the glut of teen comedies available.
Wednesday, May 23 2012
Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel
Gone With The Wind is one of the most popular books ever published. More than 75 years after its publication, neither it nor its author are above controversy.
‘Grateful Dead: Dawn of the Dead’ Could Use More Life
Want to know the early history of the Grateful Dead? You may have to look no further than this review.
Tuesday, May 22 2012
Brainy is the New Sexy: ‘Sherlock Season Two’
Irene Adler aptly deduces that “Brainy is the new sexy.” Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes and the second season of Sherlock are just that--as well as increasingly popular around the world.
Hyper-Realism and Ultra-Feminism in Action: ‘Haywire’
Mallory Kane is a strong and principled woman immersed in a world of decadent masculinity.
Monday, May 21 2012
‘Appointment with Death’: Good Sunday Afternoon Matinee Material
A decade before Michael Winner's film career had its very own 'Appointment with Death', the controversial director made this passable adaptation of Agatha Christie's celebrated crime novel.
‘George Harrison: Living In the Material World’: The Definitive Statement on Harrison
This is a powerfully intimate portrait of a private man who led a very public life.
Friday, May 18 2012
Echotone: Austin, Texas: The Quiet Fight for a Louder Future
This is a scattershot documentary about live music in Austin, Texas, that features a lot of great material with local musicians, but bails out on its intriguing noise vs. neighbors premise early in the film.
Thursday, May 17 2012
‘Albatross’: A Not-So-Weighty Coming-of-Age Meets Mid-Life-Crisis Film
The filmmakers very gently hew to recognizable formula in a way that suggests they’re not out to deliver anything greater than cinematic comfort food.
Wednesday, May 16 2012
Like a Jack London Story on Steroids: ‘The Grey’
A bleak, desolate setting full of bleak, desolate men: A group of oil workers survive a plane crash and have to fight a pack of wolves across the Alaskan wilderness.
Kate Beckinsale Shoots, Stabs and Blows Up Things in ‘Underworld: Awakening’
Even Selene's icy blue stare can't hypnotize us into having fun with this one.
Tuesday, May 15 2012
Painful Naïvety: ‘Albert Nobbs’
Albert Nobbs, the story of a woman living as a man in 19th century Dublin, is a film that quietly and subtly explores not only gender roles, but identity at its most basic level.
A Different Kind of Wilderness: ‘A Lonely Place to Die’
There are clever twists and surprises here, but we never connect with anyone enough to transcend the genre.
