I had to sit in the very front row when I went to see Shanghai Knights; not the best vantage point from which to watch a film that features little more than a series of dizzying stunts and high-speed acrobatics. Before the 90 minutes were up, I’d developed a throbbing headache. Strangely, it wasn’t my … Continue reading
“Not for the weak-hearted, Snatch is loaded with cold-blooded murder and all-purpose violence…” Director Quentin Tarantino hasn’t released a movie since 1997’s Jackie Brown; with Snatch, England’s Guy Ritchie picks up right where Tarantino left off. If you saw Ritchie’s debut feature, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you should already know what to expect. … Continue reading
“Slow and deliberate, it’s a complex study of the nature of love, of morality and mortality, and of humankind’s innate need to seek explanations for life’s myriad enigmas…” Solaris generated some pre-opening controversy when it received an R rating for including too many lingering shots of star George Clooney’s naked backside. The rating was reduced … Continue reading
A no-nonsense psychiatrist (George Clooney) discerns that a mysterious planet is having a strange effect on the crew members (Viola Davis and Jeremy Davies) of a space station built to study it. But his pragmatism vanishes when his dead wife (Natascha McElhone) suddenly appears on board the station and, against his better judgment, he finds … Continue reading
“Based on a novel by Patrick McGrath, it’s an unsettling and studied (read: extremely slow) examination of mental illness that challenges viewers by presenting its story through the eyes of a seriously disturbed schizophrenic. Watching it, you may wonder if someone slipped a psychotropic drug or three in with your gummy bears…” Director David Cronenberg’s … Continue reading
A Bad Trip Comic look at an epic drug binge is a real downer It’s very telling that the director of Spun, Jonas Akerlund, claims he finds true satisfaction as a filmmaker only during the editing stage. Akerlund, best known for directing the controversial Prodigy video for “Smack My Bitch Up” and Madonna’s “Ray of … Continue reading
“I have to admit, after watching the series religiously, I couldn’t wait to see how awful Stolen Summer had turned out. I’d already come up with some witty bons mots to incorporate into the scathing review I planned to write. The only problem is, Stolen Summer isn’t all that bad…” Like any lottery winner, screenwriter Pete … Continue reading
“The Anniversary Party is terrific – a testament to the true talent of its pair of triple-threats…” At first glance, several elements of The Anniversary Party raise serious warning flags. It was shot on digital video. It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh (an exceptional actress whose talents are often hidden by heavy-handed method acting or buried … Continue reading
“Based on the notion that all of us can claim some talent or another, the spirited one-man show combines multiple characters with lively doses of improvisation for a rousing, albeit brief, bit of merriment.” Audiences first met talent agent Ida Parker in actor-comedian Skot Hess’ critically lauded show, BJ: The Trail of a Transgender Country … Continue reading
“If you’ve heard anything about the latest from Pedro Almodovar, most likely it had something to do with the Giant Vagina.” If you’ve heard anything about the latest from Pedro Almodovar, most likely it had something to do with the Giant Vagina. Yes, yes, yes, there’s a giant vagina. Everybody go ahead and get excited, … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 