“When Sade said ‘It is not the opinions or vices of private individuals that are harmful to the state, but rather the behavior of public figures,’ how could he have known what would be happening in the Oval Office in 1998 – a full 184 years after his death?” The Marquis de Sade once wrote … Continue reading
Pleased to Eat You Hannibal the Cannibal returns Director Michael Mann’s 1986 film Manhunter marked the first screen appearance by cannibalizing serial killer Hannibal Lecter (played then by actor Brian Cox). It’s an exceedingly intense thriller, but like Mann’s other hit of the era, TV’s Miami Vice, it suffers in retrospect from terribly dated art … Continue reading
Based on the memoir of the same name by Beverly Donofrio, Riding in Cars With Boys is a genuinely compelling story fashioned into a merely competent film. With her first movie in five years, director Penny Marshall pushes all the usual buttons, deftly triggering both laughter and tears, a testament to her technical ability, if … Continue reading
Smug ad man Roger (Campbell Scott) is happy to oblige when Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), his 16-year-old nephew, asks for advice on matters of the opposite sex. Trouble is, Roger’s an acid-tongued cynic who alienates every woman he encounters. So, like a wolf instructing a lamb in the ways of the world, Roger subjects Nick to … Continue reading
The Secretary set Sundance audiences atwitter with its hyperkinky story of a sadistic lawyer and his young, subservient typist. Now, if more of the festival-goers had been familiar with the HX personals, they wouldn’t have been nearly as scandalized. That isn’t to say the movie’s not packed with demented, erotic acts, it’s just that you’re … Continue reading
“A sympathetic testament to the importance of recognizing inner beauty…” There’s an incredibly tender scene near the end of Shallow Hal, a moment of honest-to-goodness poignancy guaranteed to conjure a sizable lump in your throat. That it comes completely unexpected only increases its impact, ensuring a glistening in the eyes of even the most jaded … Continue reading
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
Mike Rucker Writes 