Seraphim Falls (review)
There’s not a lick of dialogue for maybe the first 15 minutes of this daring action Western… unless moans of pain count as dialogue.
last hurrah of the awards season
Watchin’ the Oscars on Sunday? Then you need my Oscar drinking game, posted over at Film.com. Also over there: I preview the Independent Spirit Awards, which will be distributed on Saturday night, a mere 24 hours before the Oscars. Feel free to use this as an open thread on the Oscars, or on my Film.com … more…
Venus (review)
You’ve probably heard more about *Venus* than its limited, under-the-radar release would seem to have warranted. It’s the movie that earned star Peter O’Toole his eighth Academy Award nomination. It’s the movie about a May-December romance between a dirty old man and a tough twentysomething chick. It’s a celebration of old age; it’s a vindication of spunky youth; it’s this; it’s that.
The Number 23 (review)
Twenty-three reversed is 32, and 3 minus 2 is 1, which how many stars I’d give ‘The Number 23’ if I gave stars, which I don’t. And that one star is dedicated purely to Jim Carrey and his rangy, ragged, totally fascinating performance as an actor on the precipice of his career– I mean, a man on the precipice of madness.
my master plan for the next couple of years: Doctor Who, Bruce Campbell books
So, why did I wait so long to post my review of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.: The Complete Series, when it was waaay back last summer when I was drooling over Bruce Campbell, what with the release of this long-awaited set as well as his series Jack of All Trades? Well, it was … more…
Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series (review)
It’s hard for my dedicated, longtime Whovian heart to conceive, I who dreaded the reimagining of her beloved goofy British sci-fi TV show of the 70s and 80s, but this second series of the new Doctor Who is even more deeply thrilling than the first one, even as hard as it was to see the … more…
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.: The Complete Series (review)
On the cult-TV, want-it-now DVD wish list, this one is close to the top for many a fan, myself included, and to hold this glorious, all-inclusive, eight-disc box set in my grasping, greedy, geeky hands is like unto possessing the holy grail itself. An early entry from the nascent Fox network, this criminally short-lived 1993-4 … more…
The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch (review)
The Village Voice calls it a “drag to riches story,” and that perfectly sums up this valentine to Charles Busch — playwright, director, drag queen, fixture of the New York downtown theater scene who transferred his unique outlook on the drama inherent in all our lives to mainstream Broadway with unique success. From his underground … more…
My Sister Maria (review)
Legendary screen goddess Maria Schell died in 2005, but not before her brother, actor and Academy Award-nominated documentarian Maximilian Schell, created this loving, lovely tribute to her life and her work. But this is no effort of mere journalism: this is a demanding, ultimately triumphant film, one that embraces all its subject’s difficulties as well … more…
Samoan Wedding (review)
It was a huge hit in New Zealand, which only goes to show: people the world over like the same old junk. And it turns out that the immigrant Samoan culture Down Under looks remarkably like immigrant cultures all over the Western world: Irish, African, or even big fat Greek, you’ve seen this all before. … more…
