If you were a fan of My Big Fat Greek Wedding – and, admit it, like just about everyone else in the world, you probably were – you’re definitely in for a treat with Mambo Italiano. But even if you didn’t just loooooove Nia Vardalos’s long-running, record-breaking, cliché-ridden yuk fest, with its two-dimensional characters and … Continue reading
In life, people tend to make the same mistakes over and over, a fact anyone who’s ever been in therapy will readily explain to you. Me Without You, the story of best friends Holly (Michelle Williams) and Marina (Rebecca Friel), definitely captures this cyclical nature of human existence. But while the repetition is authentic, it … Continue reading
With her million-watt smile and her two-tons-of-fun persona, Missy Elliott has always been the ultimate Happy Hip-Hopper. She’s gone and lost a lot of weight since the release of Miss E…So Addictive, but she proves she’s still the same spunky, funky gal with her newest, Under Construction, an infectious hybrid of old-skool hip-hop and up-to-the … Continue reading
The creative team behind Monkeybone is amazing. It was directed by Henry Selick, the master of stop-motion animation who brought us The Nightmare Before Christmas. The screenplay is by Sam Hamm, who wrote Batman. Not counting Brendan Fraser, it stars an impressive group of comedic talent, including David Foley, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Kattan, Megan Mullally … Continue reading
After losing his badge in a bungled drug investigation, undercover narcotics agent Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) gets a chance at reinstatement when he’s asked to help solve the murder of a fellow undercover officer. Despite his wife’s fervent objections and his own strong reservations, Nick accepts the assignment, joining Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), the volatile … Continue reading
Martin Lawrence’s highly publicized run-ins with the law – he’s been arrested for battery and gun possession and once had to be subdued by cops after he ran screaming into a busy Los Angeles intersection – have left him with a serious grudge against the police force. Or so it would appear, judging by the … Continue reading
Determined to support his family after his father dies, the eternally idealistic Nicholas Nickleby (Charlie Hunnam) seeks help from his malevolent uncle (Christopher Plummer), who finds Nicholas a job teaching in a miserable academy run by a wretched, one-eyed schoolmaster (Jim Broadbent). Nicholas quickly flees, taking with him a persecuted boy, Smike (Jamie Bell), to … Continue reading
In his diary, revolutionary dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky complained, “Critics are selfish – they write about their own opinion and not the opinion of the audience.” Even though the man was mad as a hatter when he wrote it (he also griped, “I looked at a star, which did not say good evening”), I … Continue reading
Don’t look for Varla Jean, Hedda, or Brini in Nine Queens; if you’re expecting any gender bending antics within this Argentinean import, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The queens here are pictured on postage stamps which may (or may not) be worth half a million bucks to a pair of small time swindlers. The fun is … Continue reading
If you’ve ever bought one of the bootleg videos or DVDs sold on every corner in New York City – and admit it, you have – then you already have a pretty accurate idea of the production values you’ll find in Margaret Cho’s new concert film, Notorious C.H.O. Bad lighting, weird angles, erratic sound – … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 