Cult film’s status leaves no ‘Room’ for improvement
Tommy Wiseau’s melodrama has become an inexplicable classic among scenesters.
The second coming of the horror genre
In Antichrist, a self-disemboweling fox utters the phrase, “Chaos reigns.” Director Lars von Trier makes sure it really does, by illustrating every brutal detail necessary on screen and demonstrating just how horrifying chaos can be. The movie stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as He and She, a couple whose young son falls to his […]
‘Stan Helsing’ a helpless victim of its own absurdity
The film Stan Helsing, written and directed by Bo Zenga, prominently displays the words “A Parody” in the opening credits, which leads one to believe that the movie will, in fact, be an acceptably humorous spoof. It’s supposed to poke fun at the horror genre, which has been done repeatedly (Scary Movie 1, 2, 3, […]
Muay Thai action outshines minimal plot
Ong Bak 2: The Beginning proves that ridiculously awesome and awesomely ridiculous are not interchangeable. Although grand orchestrator Tony Jaa does a striking job with art design and skull-crushing action, the story and one-dimensional characters leave the film soundly in the latter category. It bites to be an overthrown prince. It burns to be captured […]
Colorful remake pales in comparison
Welcome to the newest installation of computer-generated animation. Recall the 1980s when American kids would gather around the television to watch Astro Boy, a popular crossover series from Japan that featured a little robot boy with a heart of gold and the ability to kick some poetic justice. Decades later, Astro Boy is back with […]
Suspense film leaves viewers unsatisfied
Word on the street is that after seeing Paranormal Activity, Steven Spielberg returned to the studio with the DVD in a trash bag. He claimed the door to his bedroom locked by itself after he watched the film. Was it the ghost of Orson Welles, still upset over Spielberg’s adaptation of War of the Worlds? […]
Bell’s career rockets beyond Astro Boy
Entering the room in a sunny yellow dress like the last breath of summer, Kristen Bell looks the part of a glamorous, unattainable movie star.
Film portrays love in a New York minute
One of the highest aspirations of a filmmaker is to hear that his or her film is “refreshing.”
‘Good Hair’ doesn’t address the root of the matter
Fifteen years ago, Chris Rock got the idea to create a documentary depicting the struggles various hair types pose, and the ramifications of “fashionable” hair styles within the black community. When his daughter asked him, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” Rock jumped into action to solve the issue for her, but also […]
Family finds healing in an unexpected way
When a child has a condition and modern medicine offers no relief, some parents turn to faith. Others turn to natural healing. When the Isaacsons discovered their autistic son had a connection with horses, they did both. The documentary The Horse Boy follows the Isaacsons through Mongolia to visit shaman healers. Although the film has […]