“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
“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
Seemingly timed to coincide with a U.S. invasion in Iraq, this jingoistic ode to military machismo from director Antoine Fuqua often feels like little more than pro-war propaganda. Bruce Willis plays Lt. A.K. Waters, a laughably stoic Navy SEAL sent to “extract” bosomy American doctor Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) from a war-torn area of Nigeria, … Continue reading
In his impassioned lectures on Greek and Roman emperors, venerated professor William Hundert (a sublime Kevin Kline) expounds on how a man’s character, above all, determines his success. Hundert, who lives by his own lessons, teaches at St. Benedict’s Academy, an idyllic sanctuary of eager students and equally enthusiastic instructors, where every pupil’s primary goal … Continue reading
Honor System Inspirational boys-school drama makes the grade Despite a superficial similarity between Dead Poets Society and The Emperor’s Club (including their markedly comparable titles), this morality tale set at an all-boys school presents quite a different story than Robin Williams’ inspirational weeper. Less concerned with seizing the day than pursuing integrity, it focuses on … Continue reading
“I love movie scenes where characters enter a bathroom armed only with a pair of scissors and emerge with a new look José Eber would be proud of…” I’ve always loved the scenes in movies where characters enter a bathroom armed with only a pair of scissors or a bottle of Clairol and emerge with … Continue reading
“The Claim isn’t an unpleasant movie, just a boring one…” Inspired by the novel “The Mayor of Casterbridge” by Thomas Hardy, The Claim is an epic morality tale that takes place in Kingdom Come, a snowy Sierra Nevada claim town, twenty years after the Gold Rush of 1849. Although the setting is somewhat unique, the … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 