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Film Review - Undefeated

2012-02-15T00:41:41-06:00

An inspirational documentary on the highs and lows of an inner-city football team might not sound like the most appetizing moviegoing choice. It’s a sufficiently kneaded topic to cover, yet “Undefeated” displays more vulnerability than most films of its ilk,...

Blu-ray Review - Downton Abbey: Season 2

2012-02-14T02:56:00-06:00

When I was assigned to review "Downton Abbey: Season 2," I was filled with dread. I find most costume dramas difficult to process, most constructed so frigidly that interpretation becomes a chore, not a rewarding challenge. Also creating terror was...

Film Review - Father's Day

2012-02-13T02:54:00-06:00

“Father’s Day” is the type of genre entertainment that gives its audience plenty of reason to refuse its blood-soaked charms. It’s an unbelievably violent and nasty enterprise with a taboo-smashing, genital-eating attitude certain to make the unprepared run screaming for...

Universal Studios Florida - Street Entertainment

2012-02-12T09:06:37-06:00

Saturdays with Siskel & Ebert - Police Academy 2 / Friday the 13th Part V / Missing in Action 2 / Porky's Revenge (1985)

2012-02-11T09:22:20-06:00

Film Review - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D

2012-02-10T15:21:35-06:00

Writing anything about the “Star Wars” prequels is a dangerous pursuit. I’m convinced there are people who live only for the opportunity to disparage George Lucas online, leaving any type of discussion or opinion about these now-controversial pictures an open...

Film Review - Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

2012-02-10T08:32:40-06:00

While I don’t doubt its appeal with family audiences, 2008’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” wasn’t exactly a screaming artistic success. Released during the early stages of the current 3D revolution, the picture was a novelty, capturing box...

Film Review - The Vow

2012-02-10T08:28:29-06:00

“The Vow” opens with the tag “Inspired by a true story,” which is Hollywood code for “There are only one or two things in this movie that are actually true.” The real-life tale of Kim and Krickett Carpenter has been...

Film Review - Safe House

2012-02-09T15:07:54-06:00

"Safe House" is a satisfactory movie that's capable of greatness. It suffers from a common lack of creative courage, terrified to leave the audience to interpretation for very long. What begins as an enigmatic actioner with a marvelous handle on...

Film Review - Pina

2012-02-09T15:02:22-06:00

Watching "Pina" is like attending a funeral for a total stranger. It's a stunning visual event, elegant and artful, paying close attention to the majesty of movement and the crashing of elements. However, if the name Pina Bausch means nothing...

Film Review - Return

2012-02-08T17:43:19-06:00

“Return” is an unsettling portrait of domestic reintegration without the customary flails of melodrama that would typically assist in the storytelling. It’s a meaningful picture that plays modestly, opting to express itself through haunted reactions from star Linda Cardellini and...

Film Review - Rampart

2012-02-08T17:41:37-06:00

Filmmakers routinely gravitate to the saga of dirty cops, eagerly investigating the ugliness of those entrusted with protection. It’s a fascinating topic, yet “Rampart” refuses to indulge itself when it comes to assembling the evil business of a police officer....

Blu-ray Review - Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection

2012-02-07T03:01:00-06:00

Filmmaker Fernando Di Leo was a well-regarded helmer who specialized in severe crime stories pulled from the bowels of Italy -- tales of grizzled men hunting other grizzled men, burning through numerous power plays, assassinations, and monetary disruptions. They were...

Blu-ray Review - America In Primetime

2012-02-06T03:04:00-06:00

Television has transformed radically over the last 60 years. While most viewers remain well aware of the seismic media shift, it's quite remarkable to see the winding path of storytelling recounted in "America in Primetime," a documentary dissection of programming...

Film Review - The Wicker Tree

2012-02-06T02:08:00-06:00

Surprisingly, writer/director Robin Hardy didn’t pursue much work in the entertainment industry after the release of his 1973 cult classic, “The Wicker Man.” It makes sense that his return to the screen is a pseudo-sequel/remake/kissing cousin to his previous achievement,...

Sunday in the Park with Brian - 2012 Saintly City Cat Club Show

2012-02-05T03:00:00-06:00

Saturdays with Siskel & Ebert - Darkman / Wild at Heart / Pump Up the Volume / The Witches (1990)

2012-02-04T03:00:00-06:00

Film Review - Chronicle

2012-02-03T08:40:44-06:00

The found footage phenomenon sneaks into the superhero genre with “Chronicle,” an uneasy cross between a Morrissey record and a middling “X-Men” sequel. Chasing a trend with a slightly different goal in mind, director Josh Trank appears to be more...

Film Review - The Woman in Black

2012-02-03T08:36:39-06:00

During his tenure as the boy wizard in the “Harry Potter” franchise, star Daniel Radcliffe spent very little time away from the grind of blockbuster filmmaking, accepting challenges in the theater over building his big screen reputation. “The Woman in...

Film Review - A Separation

2012-02-02T15:24:47-06:00

“A Separation” is a frustrating sit, as both a dramatic endeavor and a motion picture viewing experience. Anxiety runs red hot in this Iranian production, which unfolds in a purposefully tangled style of lies and half-truths, forcing the characters to...