A half-century of Rings-mania culminates in The Return of the King
By Gregory Weinkauf,
January 01, 2004
Not unlike Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien remains a massively popular author whose seemingly "morbid" work often reflects surviving the horrors of... More>>
A dad tells Big Fish tales to a son who can't believe his ears
By Robert Wilonsky,
January 01, 2004
For all of its inspired side trips down Imagination Lane (let's call it that, because the "memories" of protagonist Edward Bloom are too majestic... More>>
Cold Mountain sets the new standard for Civil War drama onscreen
By Bill Gallo,
December 25, 2003
Anthony Minghella's magnificent film version of the Civil War epic Cold Mountain has much more going for it than Hollywood grandeur. Beyond its... More>>
It's Kingsley versus Connelly in a heart-rending real estate battle
By Bill Gallo,
December 25, 2003
For those who pay no mind to Oprah, the dispute at the heart of House of Sand and Fog concerns the occupancy of a run-down little bungalow just... More>>
The heart wants what the brain has to fight for in 21 Grams
By Robert Wilonsky,
December 25, 2003
It has become a subject of much discussion and debate amongst film fetishists in recent weeks: For which movie will Sean Penn win the Academy... More>>
The Return of the King marks a zenith in cinematic potential
By Gregory Weinkauf,
December 18, 2003
You know how it's often the ones we love whose flaws are most apparent? Well, when it comes to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, I... More>>
The Cooler, somewhat unbelievably, asks us to swallow a Las Vegas fairy tale
By Bill Gallo,
December 18, 2003
William H. Macy's plain-vanilla features and hangdog screen demeanor have served him well. Who could resist him as the clueless car dealer who... More>>
This time, it's the middle-aged ladies of a small English town who bare all for laughs
By Bill Gallo,
December 18, 2003
This year's British assault on the Yank funnybone is a spirited, hard-trying farce called Calendar Girls, plucked straight out of a 1999 headline... More>>
A half-century of Rings-mania culminates in The Return of the King.
By Gregory Weinkauf,
December 18, 2003
Not unlike Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien remains a massively popular author whose seemingly "morbid" work often reflects surviving the horrors of... More>>
The idiots what brung you Dumb and Dumber ain't funny no more
By Luke Y. Thompson,
December 11, 2003
Remember the Farrelly brothers? Makers of Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary? Known for crossing the line of good taste and making... More>>
Even stoners won't find anything to laugh about in Potluck
By Brendan Joel Kelley,
December 11, 2003
"Here, go ahead and light this joint, man, let me tell you my idea . . ."
Flick, flick . . . puff, inhale, hold it, eyes bug out, holding it,... More>>
What a bad feeling - and taste - Honey leaves behind
By Robert Wilonsky,
December 04, 2003
Honey is one of those movies you will see (or not, whatever), swear you've seen before in several other guises and incarnations, then immediately... More>>
Michael Crichton seems pretty clever. The doctor-screenwriter-novelist digs odd history (Eaters of the Dead, a.k.a. The 13th Warrior), clashing... More>>
The Missing misses plenty, except ancient prejudices
By Robert Wilonsky,
November 27, 2003
In director Ron Howard's The Missing, Tommy Lee Jones' Samuel Jones takes his place among the oldest archetypes in the Western genre -- the white... More>>
A mean ghost kid kicks Halle Berry's ass in Gothika
By Luke Y. Thompson,
November 20, 2003
It took four years, but finally Dark Castle -- Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver's horror division that puts out a movie a year around Halloween --... More>>
The Cat in the Hat forms clumps for easy scooping and disposal
By Gregory Weinkauf,
November 20, 2003
If you're hankering for a movie about an awkward yet lovable "outsider" type who wanders into a pastel mockup of Middle America and cajoles the... More>>
On his maiden voyage, veteran director Peter Weir masters the sea epic
By Gregory Weinkauf,
November 13, 2003
Russell Crowe to his agent: "More Oscar-bait. Now." Agent, considering his cut of Crowe's $20 million payday: "Yes, sir."
A possible scenario,... More>>
In the annals of fraud and fakery, a discredited ex-magazine reporter named Stephen Glass will likely wind up a mere footnote. The people who... More>>
Warner Bros. delivers a merchandising vehicle that falls flat
By Melissa Levine,
November 13, 2003
The first question that comes to mind upon hearing that the Looney Tunes are back and, indeed, in action, is the following: Back from where? Who... More>>
