Robert Altman is no more. The famous director of Nashville, Gosford Park, MASH, Dr. T and the Women (and so many more movies) has died. He never got his Oscar – sure there was that lifetime achievement handout earlier this year, but for all the outstanding work he’s done, none has earned him that ultimate [...]
So what the hell went wrong with Miami Vice? Michael Mann’s latest film made about half of its cost at the box office. It was a solid, gritty cop thriller, with a plot you could follow, and with characters you could care for. It starred Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell, and was released in the [...]
I saw Hollywoodland as a sneak preview to the Toronto Film Festival all the way back in August. At the time the director of TIFF, Piers Handling, told the audience to look out for this movie as it has Oscar buzz all over it. He was right. The movie left me slightly dazed as I [...]
This movie was one of my top choices at Toronto Film Fest. Unfortunately, the media blew the controversy out of proportion as soon as the film was announced, and I could not get a ticket to see it back in September. The good news, I was able to see it before it rolls out in [...]
Who knew that Skeet Ulrich from The Craft and Scream can be a decent male lead in a TV drama? When this series was announced back in spring – about a small town dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear attack on USA – everything seemed compelling except for the little puppy-eyes skinny kid from [...]
Somehow Darren Aronofsky has become the next big hit in Hollywood. Along with JJ Abrams (his status I just have to question, after MI3) and Christopher Nolan (ok, this guy knows what he’s doing) Darren is hailed as this decade’s Tarantino. Now I understand that a formulaic, stagnant world of Hollywood needs a regular shake, [...]
“We’ll be the very model of the modern network TV show”. Repeat this quickly 3 times, and you’ll get the idea. A show with musical numbers is always worth watching. Studio 60 is a new brainchild of Aaron Sorkin – of course being shown on NBC network. It’s a delicious, well-written, and amazingly cast dramedy. [...]
People keep saying that Abigail Breslin (she was also in Signs) steals this film. That’s not exactly accurate. Yes, she’s the main character of Little Miss Sunshine, and the film begins and ends with her. Her wide-eyed fascination with beauty pageants – so cleverly shown in the opening scene, and her off-the-wall talent performance at [...]
Wow, what a lineup this year. We thought Toronto Film Fest was outstanding in 2005 (Everything’s Illuminated, Mrs. Henderson Presents, A History of Violence, and dozens of other films), but so far this year we haven’t seen (or heard of) anything bad. Every screening we go to, every review we hear is just great. Stay [...]
We rarely get political on this site, hence the absence of Michael Moore’s and Al Gore’s controversial documentaries, or any documentaries for that matter. However, when a well-known comedian jumps into book publishing, then talk radio, and even politics – all with great success, it must be noted. Al Franken, one of few truly creative [...]
