If you don’t want to strangle the insufferably smug James Lipton by the time his interview with Johnny Depp is over, well, put that down to Depp, whose intense thoughtfulness and obvious humility in the face of his own phenomenal talent and extraordinary success make this almost worth a look. Prompted by Lipton’s questions, which … more…

Oh my. The Village Voice calls this “an astonishingly voluptuous skeleton key to Matthew Barney,” who is “the most important American artist of his generation,” according to The New York Times. Well. Call me a philistine, but I don’t get it. But hey: that’s okay. The New York Times’ chief art critic, Michael Kimmelman, is … more…

“Full-length movie. Full of boogers!” promises the blobby green sticker on the DVD. And it’s true. But somehow, the tons of gross-out potty humor manages to be delightfully goofy — perhaps it’s the irresistibly cheerful spin cartoonist Maxwell Atoms puts on his demented twisting of kiddie cartoons. Billy and Mandy are regular suburban kids — … more…

I’m mystified as to who the audience is for this rough but charmingly enthusiastic documentary about contemporary science fiction fandom. Those already in the thralls of fandom (like, ahem, me) won’t find a single surprising or unexpected thing in the background of fandom — we know we’re oddballs who flock to conventions (or “cons”) in … more…

It’s Nancy Drew meets Sherlock Holmes! Doctor Who’s superspunky Billie Piper has to demure down her total kickassness to a proper Victorian ladylike level to play Sally Lockhart, girl detective, but Piper cannot hide how damn cool she is. Based on a novel by Phillip Pullman (whose The Golden Compass arrives in a big-screen adaptation … more…