Sorted by date Results 279 - 303 of 528
I have never known the world without Paddington Bear. Born into the literary world around the same time as myself in 1958, Michael Bond's "A Bear Called Paddington" has been a mainstay of not only my life, but for generations of kids who came after me (including my nephews). Paddington Bear was just like me; he was a child. And despite all of Paddington's worldly education and manners taught him in "Darkest Peru" by his Aunt and Uncle, he had all the wide-eyed wonder, rose-colored glasses,...
STRANGE MUSIC is music to my heart! Think an animated "Moulin Rouge!" that embraces the George Lucas ideals of dark & light, finding beauty and love in the darkest places, experiencing incredible new worlds, and all set in another kind of galaxy far, far away, this one comprised of The Fairy Kingdom and The Dark Forest. Yes. George Lucas. The man behind the mythical worlds of The Fairy Kingdom and The Dark Forest (also the man behind The Empire and The Force) has a soft side, an animated side,...
It’s a wild weekend on the big and small screens this weekend with the Super Bowl on tv and some powerhouse films opening in the theatres. On the heels of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act come two films focused on racial divide. The one, BLACK OR WHITE, written and directed by Mike Binder and starring Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer with an Oscar-worthy turn by Anthony Mackie, approaches the issue from the perspective of child custody and two loving grandparents - one White and o...
Anyone who knows me or who has read any of my reviews or interviews over the past few decades knows of my admiration and affection for action films, stunt work, Jason Statham and director Simon West. Put all of those ingredients together, and toss in a screenplay by William Goldman, and I'm in. Needless to say, you can imagine my excitement for WILD CARD as it not only blends all of these elements in this slick, as-to-be-expected reflective and brooding crime drama, but minimizes the action...
STRANGE MUSIC is music to my heart! Think an animated "Moulin Rouge!" that embraces the George Lucas ideals of dark & light, finding beauty and love in the darkest places, experiencing incredible new worlds, and all set in another kind of galaxy far, far away, this one comprised of The Fairy Kingdom and The Dark Forest. Yes. George Lucas. The man behind the mythical worlds of The Fairy Kingdom and The Dark Forest (also the man behind The Empire and The Force) has a soft side, an animated side,...
Based on a true story, with a script by Eric J. Adams, director Deon Taylor explores the dividing lines of race, family and the hate that fuels those lines with an intensity that at times is almost overwhelming with explosive emotion with SUPREMACY. Garrett Tully, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, had just been released from the maximum security Pelican Bay State Prison not 15 hours earlier when he kills a state trooper. Now a fugitive and on the run, with the help of Doreen, a friend to the...
I was one of the lucky few press who, several months ago, was treated to some early clips of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB. My appetite for more was quickly whetted on seeing just brief glimpses of Sir Ben Kingsley and Rami Malek in all their royal glory, Ben Stiller as history's best friend Larry Daley, and that pee-happy capuchin Dexter (aka Crystal the Monkey). Now having seen the film in its entirety, I can honestly say that my enthusiasm and delight for NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:...
Although in limited release, an indie gem that requires mention, and your attention, is LITTLE ACCIDENTS. Written and directed by Sara Colangelo, LITTLE ACCIDENTS is a very profound and thought-provoking character study, as well as study of the human condition, focused within the microcosm of reality in a West Virginia coal mining town. If LITTLE ACCIDENTS doesn't show the true chain of life and how everything intersects with everything else, how one ripple in a pond can change the entire flow...
The first three-day holiday weekend of 2015 brings a jam-packed slate of films filled with Oscar nominees, Golden Globe winners and new releases. Let’s take a look at three diverse films opening this weekend which covers the gamut of something for everyone. PADDINGTON I have never known the world without Paddington Bear. Born into the literary world around the same time as myself in 1958, Michael Bond’s “A Bear Called Paddington” has been a mainstay of not only my life, but for generat...
With BIG HERO 6, Walt Disney Animation Studios once again proves why they are heroes to generations and legions of fans the world over. Tapping into the recesses of the Marvel vaults, directors Don Hall and Chris Williams bring this somewhat obscure gem of heroes to life in what is destined to be the newest franchise in the Disney-Marvel universe.....not to mention my pick for Oscar gold. But setting BIG HERO 6 apart from the super heroes and fantasy we have come to know from Marvel is that the...
The game is afoot with THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1, but it's no longer being played as a game within the confines of an electronically controlled and domed "arena". With the release of Katniss Everdeen's arrow as her final move in the "Catching Fire" Quarter Quell, all bets are off. The games are no longer "games" with a single victor (or victors, as in the case of Katniss and Peeta). The game is now very real and must be played by every single citizen in Panem if the now obviously evil...
A thoughtful film that places the past and its lingering effects on the present as told through feuding Appalachian families who can't or don't want to move forward in a 1970's backwoods North Carolina, THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT is a microcosmic microscopic examination of introspection. Adapted from Ron Rash's 2006 novel by writer Shane Danielson and directed by David Burris, THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT is a slow, methodical, atmospheric burn that celebrates the gravitas of performances from the likes...
The finger of God seems to have descended on Hollywood the past few years with a resurgence in the spectacle of the Old Testament and teaching of the New, on both the big and small screens. Perhaps a commentary on the world itself, perhaps as tool to give hope in desperate times, perhaps divine intervention, but we are none the worse for wear for the experiences given us by Roma Downey's "The Bible" and 'Son of God" or Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" and now, in perhaps the grandest spectacle yet, Rid...
Delving into somewhat rare territory with bringing a true life story and real life individuals to the big screen (the last time being "Ed Wood"), one of whom is very much alive and very much a part of the making of BIG EYES, Tim Burton returns to the bemused wonder and charm that he demonstrated with "Edward Scissorhands". While in many respects a departure from what we have grown accustomed to in recent years from Tim Burton, in others, BIG EYES feels like the smooth fit of a kidskin glove....
Fans of the stage musical, and those who have heard of but never seen the wonder that is Stephen Sondheim, are in for a special holiday treat come Christmas Day as all tied up with a big red bow, er, cape, is Sondheim's acclaimed and long-running INTO THE WOODS which finally arrives on the big screen in this stunning adaptation written by stage scribe James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim and directed by Rob Marshall. What big eyes you'll have as you watch the magic of this fairytale mash-up unfold...
Disney On Ice presents Let's Celebrate comes to Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire and Long Beach bringing more than 50 Disney characters from 16 beloved Disney stories together in the Southland for one party on ice. This fun-filled show features a magical montage of celebrations, holidays and festivals from around the globe set to a blend of contemporary music and favorite Disney songs, playing in the Southland from December 10, 2014 to January 4, 2015. You can join Mickey Mouse and...
As has become crystal clear over the past several years, DreamWorks Animation more than gives Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar a run for their money when it comes to animated features. With it's own distinctive styling of rich, vibrant colors like those seen in "The Croods" or "Turbo", character and background design are drawn with a slightly skewed shaping and outlining that have a touchstone quality to Saturday morning cartoons, while action and adventure is non-stop, high octane, high...
MCLM in association with the BADWest St. Clair Bourne 4th Monday Documentary Series will present a free screening of Shola Lynch's film: Free Angela and All Political Prisoners. The screening will be held on Monday, November 24 at 7 pm at the Mayme Clayton Library and Museum, 4130 Overland Avenue, Culver City. Free parking is available. Free Angela is a feature length documentary about Angela Davis. The high stakes crime, political movement, and trial that catapults the 26 year-old newly...
So what happens when you take a beloved 32 page book published in 1972 about a boy named Alexander who is obsessed with all things Down Under and bring it into modern day and expand those 32 pages into a feature film? You get a wonderful, wonderful, laugh out loud, fun-filled family film that just brightens the day. Alexander Cooper is having the worst day of his life. Gum in his hair, getting bullied and slammed into lockers at school, no breakfast, not getting to do a history assignment on...
Passionately fascinated with all things vampyric and particularly the historical facts and myth about Prince Vlad of Wallachia, House of Draculesti aka Vlad the Impaler, needless to say I have been beyond curious about DRACULA UNTOLD. Mesmerized from small on by Murnau's 1922 silent, "Nosferatu", many subsequent Dracula tellings, including Werner Herzog's 1979 "Nosferatu the Vampyre" and Coppola's more popular 1992 version starring Gary Oldman in the title role, although constructed with many...
Those magnificent artisans of Laika are back with their latest production, THE BOXTROLLS. Taking a sliver from the beloved book "Here Be Monsters!" by Alan Snow, Laika CEO and lead animator Travis Knight together with directors Anthony Stacchi and Graham Anable take stop-motion animation to new heights of visionary wonder as they bring the underground world of THE BOXTROLLS to life, achieving a film that is oh-so enchanting and charming thanks to eye-popping visuals, perfect voice casting and a...
The long awaited date and venue announcement for the inaugural Culver City Film Festival have been released. This release couldn't come soon enough for the large number of film and cinema buffs who have been following this festival as it has progressed. “To be a part of the inaugural film festival is history in the making,” says Jon Gursha Culver City Film Festival Director. The Culver City Film Festival will be held on the 6th of December at the Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum in Culver City. With the event being so large, additional ven...
The Culver City Art group will present a multi-media art exhibition of original artwork by its members at its 19th annual holiday show. This exhibition will be presented at the Playa Vista CenterPointe Club, 6200 Playa Vista Drive on Saturday, November 22 from noon until 6pm. Artists’ reception will be from 3:30 pm to 4:59pm. The exhibit will run for one day only. This event is free and is open to the public. The Culver City Art Group is an organization of local artists that embraces all visual arts from traditional to computer-generated, t...
A classically styled drama from writer Sabrina Gennarino and director Pieter Gaspersz, AFTER is thoughtfully absorbing and beautifully acted, focusing not only on the dynamics of "family" but the ties that bind and the lengths family goes for one and another. The Valentinos are your average middle class family. Patriarch Mitch has owned a stone-cutting business for decades. It has provided a comfortable life for his family. Spending more time at home with his emotionally fragile wife Nora,...
Some guys just have a thing for snakes and it seems that our favorite parseltongue speaking Daniel Radcliffe is no different. In his new film, the devilishly delicious HORNS from director Alexandre Aja, Radcliffe flexes his serpentine skills yet again, this time as the young Ig Perrish. A supernatural thriller that in almost genre-bending fashion melds the battle of good versus evil with tines of fantasy, romance, a noirish murder mystery and even a little gothic flair, this decadent delight is...
