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While I may not be a Steve Harvey fan per se, I am a fan of all things funny, especially when funny comes in the form of a great ensemble cast, well told organically unfolding intertwining stories and characters, and all packaged as a gem of a film shot in, of all places, the Heart of Screenland - Culver City. And this is exactly what director Tim Story gives us with THINK LIKE A MAN - a funny, funny film filled with heart and laughter. Based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling comedic advice book ...
Who could ever imagine that Friday, April 13th would give birth to one of the richest weekends of new film releases that we have seen in a long time. With so many to choose from, I thought I’d give you a taste of some of my faves: DETENTION Joseph Kahn’s comedic genre-busting love letter to the 90's that is brilliantly constructed with rapier dialogue, sharp creative visuals, meticulously tapestried themes and plots, a soundtrack that is to-die-for, an off the charts performance by Dane Coo...
When director Tarsem Singh told me back in the Fall of 2011 that MIRROR MIRROR was (1) unlike anything he had done before, (2) unlike any "Snow White" story that had been previously done, (3) was filled with "color, fantasy and fun" and, (4) "you will love it" - he wasn't lying. Creative, colorful, fanciful and funny, this is one fantastic fairy tale that is hilarious fun for the whole family! MIRROR MIRROR is the stuff from which dreams and fantasies are made and I love it! Now, the tale of...
Are you hungry yet? I hope so because with THE HUNGER GAMES you are in for a seven course meal with all the trimmings, guaranteed to satisfy even the most ravenous fan. Directed by Gary Ross and based on Suzanne Collins’ best selling young adult novel of the same name, THE HUNGER GAMES is not only a faithful adaptation of the book, but excels with high production values, vivid visual imagery, thought provoking detail on topical social and political issues as relevant today as in the futuristic R...
This is a big week for movie releases and there’s quite an assortment from which to choose. In the mood for some laughter myself, I’ll give you a glimpse of two of my favorite films of 2012, both opening March 16th - CASA DE MI PADRE and, the funniest film of the year, 21 JUMP STREET. CASA DE MI PADRE Admittedly not a big Will Ferrell fan, suffice it to say that when I tell you that CASA DE MI PADRE is flawlessly funny and absurdly hilarious, you can take it to the bank that it is. So ent...
Anyone who knows me or who is a regular reader, knows of my unabashed admiration and respect for Nic Cage. While his chosen roles and performances are sometimes spot on and sometimes not, he never ceases to stretch himself and go outside the box with interesting, eclectic diversity. In SEEKING JUSTICE, Cage is in unfamiliar territory as the bookish Will Gerard which lends itself well to Cage delivering one of his best performances in some time. A high school teacher, Will is married to the...
Long an admirer of Tyler Perry and his works (with a few exceptions), I was curious to see what he would bring us with GOOD DEEDS, a film in which Perry sheds his usual onscreen persona of Madea and her over-the-top hilarity, and presents us with a man who, as I have come to learn, is the closest thing to Perry himself that we have ever seen. My curiosity is well-rewarded as GOOD DEEDS soars with emotion and is without a doubt, the best work that Tyler Perry has done to date; and by work, this...
Steven Soderbergh - you are forgiven. After The Girlfriend Experience starring porn star turned wannabe actress, Sasha Grey, I didn’t think I would ever watch another Soderbergh film. Although visually stunning thanks to impressive cinematography, the heinous “acting” of Grey left me cold. Then came Contagion, a rehash of a rehash of a rehash just with bigger names than the prior rehashes. And I was saddened wondering where was the Steven Soderbergh of old? The Soderbergh who gave us the fun,...
I have never known the world without those adorable, energetic and often impish chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore, and their adoptive father Dave Seville, as all were “born” along with me in 1958. In fact, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) has been a mainstay of the holiday season for me since my first Christmas. Subsequent Chipmunk songs and albums were always a highlight for me, as were the cartoons when they began appearing on tv in 1961. And after a sad hiatus from the small...
In this post-Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, the theatres are full of little gems to satisfy every demographic out there (well, except for my brother). So for a little change this week, rather than one in-depth review (which you will still be able to find on my website), I’ll take a look at several of this weekend’s openers. SUBMARINE What a quirky little delight SUBMARINE is! Filled with cuteness, laugh out loud funny and dark comedy that I just can’t praise enoug...
To be a gnome or not be a gnome; that is the question. And the answer, my friends? Go “gnomal” with the most “GNOMETASTIC” film of the year (and my pick for Best Animated Feature at Oscar 2012) - GNOMEO & JULIET!! If I died today, it would be with a smile on my face and a song in my heart after seeing GNOMEO & JULIET. I smiled, laughed, teared up, got goosebumps, smiled some more, laughed a lot more, tapped my toes, danced in my seat and had a grin from ear to ear the entire time...and when the...
One rock. One man. The forces of nature. A really crappy off-brand Leatherman tool. 127 hours. Who else but Danny Boyle, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, and actor James Franco could turn that combination into one of the most exciting, suspenseful and triumphant films of the year? The answer - no one. Aron Ralston is a mountaineer and extreme sport athlete who lives for the adrenalin rush of doing the impossible, the unthinkable and even the reckless and unsafe. His greatest passion is rock...
Empowering! Inspirational! Sally Hawkins is entrancing. Miranda Richardson is the icing on the cake. Bob Hoskins is deliciously fun. The human spirit captured on the screen in each character is uplifting and energizing. What am I talking about you ask? None other than MADE IN DAGENHAM - director Nigel Cole's spotlight on yet another group of courageous brave women who have made a difference. Cole previously brought us the ebullient "Calendar Girls" based on the true story of a group of post 50...
There are two definitions of the word "conviction." The first, is "an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence." The second, used in a legal sense, is "the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime." With CONVICTION, we have the perfect blend of both meanings on a multitude of levels. We see the conviction of Tony Goldwyn in his execution and direction of the film. We see the conviction of each actor in their respective performances. We...
Let's face it, each of us has some secret desire harboring within us to be a gourmet chef, or at least a gourmet diner. Remember those mud pies you made in the backyard and served to mom and dad? Or those great culinary creations mixing 10 brands of cereal and then smothering it all in chocolate and strawberry jelly? Yes, there's a little bit of chef and/or foodie in all of us and while many may not admit it, I suspect there is a lot of guilty pleasure television viewing going on thanks to the...
The Oscar race is off and running this week when SECRETARIAT jumps out of the gate. Emotional, sweeping, epic, horses, a true story, a strong woman, a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, core values of strength/integrity/determination/competitive spirit, and lots and lots of heart - EVERYTHING that makes Disney, Disney, and Randall Wallace a brilliant filmmaker; and what makes SECRETARIAT the quintessential horse movie. As if the story of SECRETARIAT himself isn't enough of a dream, the film is the stuf...
Back in late 1978, there was a little unrated gem of a film that played around the country called "Day of the Woman" aka "I Spit on Your Grave." I saw that original film on its initial release and, ironically actually did a detailed technical analysis and "review" of it for my film class. (I got an A+) The film was considered so horrific that "legitimate" theatres in Philadelphia wouldn't show it and it was relegated to the XXX theatres in Center City "way off" from the "classy" areas of the...
Think back to your high school days. Wasn’t there at least one person who made you miserable? One person that always seemed to one up you, get in your face and make your life a living hell? Sure there was. And didn’t you always wish you had the courage to turn the tables and teach these “nightmares” a lesson? Sure you did. And even when we each look deep into ourselves years and even decades later, don’t you still harbor at least some of those feelings, wishing for revenge but glad you never...
When George Bernard Shaw wrote “Youth is wasted on the young”, he obviously didn’t know of writer/director Nicholas Fackler. Now only 26 years old, at age 17 Fackler began writing what would ultimately become LOVELY, STILL. Capturing the exuberance, magic and wonder of falling in love for the first time, Fackler went beyond the story of a first love, and turned this into a love story for the ages and for any age. The end result is LOVELY, STILL. Magical, memorable, tender, sweet and fille...
Who else but Robert Rodriguez (and maybe Quentin Tarantino) could create a fake Mexploitation movie trailer, run it during another film, and have it turn into such a cult phenomena that he had no choice but to make the actual film on which the trailer was allegedly based? Perhaps even more memorable than the Now Showing feature "Grindhouse" itself at which it debuted, the trailer for MACHETE not only wet the palette leaving us begging for more, but created indelible images impossible to forget....
Anyone familiar with Anton Corbijn' s photography recognizes and appreciates his austere, simple, yet powerful, elegance - particularly with his black & white or tint works. He has a very metaphoric eye which enables him to tell an entire story with one frame, evoking and provoking introspective thought and emotion, a gift that bodes well for his transition to film. He needs no words to tell a story, something that makes him the perfect director for THE AMERICAN. Based on Martin Booth's novel...
The Ninth Roman Legion is legendary. Their bravery. Their brutality. Their superiority. A true fighting machine with cunning and strength. Centurions all. Raised in 65 BC in Spain, Julius Caesar first commanded the Legion in 61BC, bringing them to Gaul in several years later when they were a commanding presence during the Gallic Wars. Although Caesar disbanded the Legion after his final victory during an African campaign in 46 BC, after his death, Octavian recalled the veterans and they once...
When Jason Bateman first talked to me last year about an upcoming film of his called "the Baster", it sounded incredibly amusing (particularly as he described it with his patented droll ironic delivery). When I heard that Josh Gordon and Will Speck, the team who brought us the Will Farrell vehicle "Blades of Glory" had directed, my hopes based on Bateman’s recommendation dropped, believing that the film would go for the guffaws rather than have any defined comedic substance and heart. On s...
A beautiful translation of life and story to the big screen, director Bruce Beresford combines the amazing true story of noble ballerina Li Cunxin with exquisitely breathtaking performances of some of the world’s most famous ballets - Dante’s Inferno, Swan Lake and even Chinese ballets that were performed for Mrs. Mao. Aiming for the heart and hitting it every time, MAO’S LAST DANCER is not only breathtaking, but meticulously enchanting. Li Cunxin was born to poverty in Qingdao, China. Pover...
