“I couldn’t stifle a giggle as I recalled the scene in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in which Austin engages in a sex-charged game of chess with Ivana Humpalott and ends up choking on his bishop…” While watching The Luzhin Defence, I couldn’t stifle a giggle as I recalled the scene in Austin … Continue reading
“A striking film noir set in the 1940’s, TMWWT is worth seeing for its incredibly lush black-and-white cinematography alone.” Oh, the ironic curse of the Coen Brothers. Arguably among today’s best filmmakers, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have together created some truly great films in the past two decades, including Blood Simple, Raising Arizona and … Continue reading
“A straightforward look at a man forced to assume responsibility for a lifetime of selfish actions.” At the screening of The Operator I attended, two of the film’s reels were accidentally shown out of sequence, resulting in an unintentional Memento-like effect. While the two thrillers do share certain qualities, The Operator doesn’t utilize tricky cinematic … Continue reading
Many people proclaimed director Wes Anderson a genius after 1998’s Rushmore. I, however, felt it premature to bestow such a title to a filmmaker with only two films to his name. Now, with The Royal Tenenbaums, I find myself enthusiastically joining the throng. At the risk of sounding like a latecomer to the party: Wes … Continue reading
The Son’s Room concerns a family’s reaction to the tragic death of a teenaged son, a conflict also examined in the recent In the Bedroom. Both films have received critical acclaim and accolades (The Son’s Room won the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes and is an Academy Award nominee for best foreign film; In the … Continue reading
“After seeing The Time Machine, I wished I, too, could take a trip back in time – to avoid seeing this movie altogether.” It’s always frustrating to see a film that has everything going for it but still manages to be unwatchable. The Time Machine contains all of the ingredients for a fantastic movie: a … Continue reading
With Detective Slocumb in hot pursuit, the girls are left with only visions of Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Lucci) to guide them. Hollywood generally considers sequels as easy money. Consequently, rather than alienating fans of a movie by trying something new, filmmakers tend to serve up a rehashed version of the original. As … Continue reading
“In this adventure, which giddily combines Greek mythology, Egyptology, and a whole lotta 21st-Century mumbo jumbo, she’s got a sexy new sidekick, Terry (Gerard Butler), a menacing ex-con with a killer six-pack and an even more lethal Scottish brogue.” In her second outing as Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie definitely rocks this Cradle After weeks of false … Continue reading
“Do yourself a favor and skip this one. Anything would be better, even just catching up on some sleep.” At its most basic level, Too Much Sleep is about a guy searching for his stolen gun. Presumably, writer/director David Maquiling was also trying for some larger meaning or greater significance. Regrettably, he didn’t achieve it. … Continue reading
“With a populace of antediluvian oddballs and nary a Starbucks in sight, Collinwood doesn’t seem to have changed much in the last forty or fifty years.” A quirky throwback to the screwball comedies of the ‘30s and ‘40s, Welcome to Collinwood follows a gang of misfit thieves and their attempts to rob a local pawnshop. … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 