Set against the urban unrest that exploded in Los Angeles after the 1992 beating of Rodney King, this gripping police thriller showcases an inspired performance by Kurt Russell as a racist cop with a disturbingly distorted sense of justice. As the city simmers in hostility awaiting a verdict in the King-beating trial, Eldon Perry (Russell) … Continue reading
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Darkness Falls
This macabre misfire scrapes the bottom of the idea barrel by reimagining the tooth fairy as a vengeful spirit who butchers anyone who lays eyes on her. Having seen the specter kill his mother when he lost his last tooth as a boy, the now-grown Kyle (Chaney Kley) lives in constant fear of the spirit. … Continue reading
Deliver Us From Eva
“I guess it’s only fair that black audiences are now bombarded with the same inconsequential fluff that’s been aimed at white moviegoers for years. There’s not a lick of dramatic heft in director Gary Hardwick’s Deliver Us From Eva, but, then again, there wasn’t any in Two Week’s Notice or Just Married, either. And, with competent performances by a … Continue reading
Deliver Us From Eva (Q Syndicate)
Opinionated, acerbic and downright brutal, Eva (Gabrielle Union) never met a man she wouldn’t gladly rip to shreds. Having raised her younger sisters (Essence Atkins, Robinne Lee and Meagan Good) since she was 18, Eva still substitutes running their lives for living one of her own. Even though her sisters don’t mind Eva’s constant meddling, … Continue reading
Die Another Day
“With his swoon-inducing good looks and charisma to spare, Brosnan makes, if not the best Bond ever, then a mighty close second.” 00-Crossed James Bond fights for his honor in Die Another Day It’s weird seeing James Bond behind the wheel of a vintage Thunderbird in Die Another Day. For his past three or four … Continue reading
Die Another Day (Q Syndicate)
In the most introspective Bond film ever, Pierce Brosnan returns as the dashing agent, who’s been held hostage in Korea for more than a year. Stripped of his “00” status upon his release for allegedly divulging top-secret information, Bond strikes out alone to uncover the traitor who set him up. Crossing paths repeatedly with the … Continue reading
8 Mile
“Eminem commands the screen in his feature debut with an exhilarating performance that virtually dares viewers to look away.” Rapper Delights Eminem impresses in his big screen debut Gay activists can start gnashing their teeth and sharpening their battle-axes; with his stellar performance in 8 Mile, notorious fag-basher Eminem is about to attain a whole … Continue reading
8 Mile (Q Syndicate)
If his performance in this semi-autobiographical flick is any indication, controversial rapper Eminem stands poised to become a bona-fide movie star. Queer politics aside, Eminem is sensational as Rabbit, a Detroit factory worker who dreams of being a hip-hop performer. Consumed by self-doubt, he watches local freestyle rap “battles” from the sidelines until he meets … Continue reading
Elephant
“By lulling viewers into a complacent trance before hitting them over the head, Van Sant skillfully heightens dramatic tension.” Elephant, an unsettling and thoroughly spellbinding new film from director Gus Van Sant, takes its name from the ancient parable of the blind men and the elephant. In the story, several blind men examine different parts … Continue reading
Enemy at the Gates
I’ve never been a big fan of war movies. Somehow, seeing John Wayne or Kirk Douglas hunkering down in a muddy bunker, smoking Camels and reminiscing about the girls back home never held any appeal to me. I don’t necessarily hate the genre, but for every Schindler’s List, there’s an In Love and War, for … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 