“You can’t be half a gangster Nuck.” The new TV season is underway. As always, The CW got out of the gate early, and for what seems like the first time in a while, the four major networks are all launching the vast majority of their new series during the exact same premiere week, beginningContinue reading “The new season: First Take — Boardwalk Empire“
Category Archives: Reviews
Cloverfield: A Monster Movie for the New Millenium
The biggest surprise about Cloverfield — the new monster thriller opening today from Alias and Lost creator-producer J.J. Abrams, directed by his former partner on Felicity Matt Reeves — is that for the first time in recent memory (if not ever), a January release doesn’t royally suck. In fact, Cloverfield is surprisingly (to me, atContinue reading “Cloverfield: A Monster Movie for the New Millenium”
TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAY 7 – A DAY LATE, REPORTING FORM NEW YORK
The last 48 hours are a bit of a blur. A full day of movies on Wednesday that ended in total exhaustion, followed by the intent of one final screening Thursday morning that just didn’t happen because I was too damn tired. I wish I had actually planned to stay at least one or evenContinue reading “TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAY 7 – A DAY LATE, REPORTING FORM NEW YORK”
TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAY 6 – EXHAUSTION MOST DEFINITELY SETTING IN
I have most definitely not “done” the Toronto Film Festival as well as I could, or should, have. I definitely should have prepared more in advance, because then I wouldn’t have spent so much time simply trying to figure out what I would and wouldn’t be able to make. I’ve managed to see a hellContinue reading “TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAY 6 – EXHAUSTION MOST DEFINITELY SETTING IN”
TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAY 5 – A DAY CAN’T BE MUCH MORE FULL
I went to six films today, but I only sat through five. One was simply too unbearable, and combine that with the sweltering heat of that particular screening room, there was no way I could stick it out for more than 30 minutes, even though I had no other particular place to go. All-in-all, though,Continue reading “TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAY 5 – A DAY CAN’T BE MUCH MORE FULL”
TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAYS 1-4, WOW AM I WEARY
Something unexpected has taken-up all the time I meant to write while here in Toronto: simply figuring out what the hell I’m going to get to see while here. With the New York Film Festival press screenings starting next week, I’m staying away from all of those big titles, trying to use my time onContinue reading “TORONTO IN FOCUS: DAYS 1-4, WOW AM I WEARY”
THE SUGAR CURTAIN: WHEN CHILDHOOD MEMORY CONFLICTS WITH ADULT REALITY
As I’ve mentioned before, watching submissions for Tribeca can often be a frustrating experience. We watch so many movies, and it’s not that all of them are terrible by any means, but considering the very small percentage we can actually accept, it’s much more pleasant and refreshing to see a must-show. Early in my viewingContinue reading “THE SUGAR CURTAIN: WHEN CHILDHOOD MEMORY CONFLICTS WITH ADULT REALITY”
HAIRSPRAY: THE SURPRISE OF THE SUMMER AND THE BEST MOVIE MUSICAL IN YEARS
Since the headline gives away that I’m about to present an enthusiastic rave, let’s stipulate a few things up front: When I sat down at the AMC Kips Bay for an All Media screening of Hairspray, my expectations were pretty non-existent. I wasn’t automatically thinking the worst, but considering the overhyped recent history of theContinue reading “HAIRSPRAY: THE SURPRISE OF THE SUMMER AND THE BEST MOVIE MUSICAL IN YEARS”
SUNSHINE: FILLED WITH BRILLIANCE YET OFTEN MUDDLED BY THE LIGHT
Danny Boyle is one of those filmmakers who has often straddled that line between style and substance while always exploring the boundaries of different genres and stories. In all of his films — from Shallow Grave and Trainspotting through 28 Days Later and Millions. Unlike many big-budget Hollywood filmmakers (as always, I’m looking at youContinue reading “SUNSHINE: FILLED WITH BRILLIANCE YET OFTEN MUDDLED BY THE LIGHT”
LIVE-IN MAID: A UNIVERSAL STUDY OF CLASS AND FRIENDSHIP
At what point does personal memory and experience get in the way of critical observation? It’s a question that popped into my mind during a screening of Live-in Maid, which opened today at Film Forum. Argentinian director Jorge Gaggero’s debut feature is a small picture tackling a big subject: the class struggle in Argentina. NormaContinue reading “LIVE-IN MAID: A UNIVERSAL STUDY OF CLASS AND FRIENDSHIP”
Out of Focus 