Many will recall the January 1, 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant III, as it was not only tragic but also one of the first “real-time” shootings caught on video by dozens of spectators with flip-phones. The incident would spark nationwide protests, riots, and heated discussion about race relations. Fruitvale Station… Continue reading
Nebraska is gentle and heartfelt. It doesn’t really go anywhere fast, but it still strikes an emotional chord that falls right in line with director Alexander Payne’s other recent works. Payne has always been fascinated by themes such as aging and friendship, and here, working from Bob Nelson’s script, returns… Continue reading
Spoiler alert: Mary Poppins gets made. But it’s the long and frustrating journey to reach the final product that is the subject of Saving Mr. Banks, a refreshingly insightful look into the mind of the troubled author who wrote the book. This could have easily been two hours of Disney… Continue reading
You have to hand it to American Hustle for taking its breadth of talent and just letting them run with every scene. Writer/director David O. Russell has gathered the finest cast of the year (including Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, who hit the jackpot last year in Russell’s Silver Linings… Continue reading
Dallas Buyers Club represents that breed of Oscar contender where the performances are far better than the movie. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto turn in career-defining work, but the film as a whole is pretty standard underdog fare and surprisingly cold and distant emotionally. You can’t help but feel like you… Continue reading
Frozen contains all of the timeless ingredients of Disney’s wildly successful past: royalty, magical powers, familial drama, and visual splendor. All of these elements feel familiar, but Frozen puts enough energy and witty spin on them to create something new and memorable. It won’t get any bonus points for breaking… Continue reading
A part of me really wishes I was some sort of gatekeeper for Beatles memorabilia and stories. It seems like every week we get a new photo, story, anecdote…something. I want to have the basement full of stuff that’s gradually being released. A perfect companion piece would be Good Ol’… Continue reading
Finally, an absurdist comedy that wears the label proudly. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone comes from the Will Ferrell school of film comedies, meaning that we have bizarre people doing bizarre things, but it somehow gels. The film isn’t quite the classic it could have been with such a stacked cast… Continue reading
Gangster Squad is an absolutely bananas shoot ’em up that seems plenty content being just that. The story, wearing the “based on true events” tag with a permanent wink, couldn’t be simpler and it’s all basically a coat hook for bloody shootouts, of which there are many. Those expecting a… Continue reading
Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is a fine product to showcase the enchantment and amazement of a number of Cirque shows, but it’s nothing more than that. The film is a “greatest hits” of sorts for Cirque fans, beautifully filmed under the direction of Andrew Adamson and produced by James… Continue reading