movie buzz

Rambo Sylvester Stallone defies all military limitations on the age of soldiers in combat — not to mention common sense — when he accepts a job as a mercenary with an assignment to rescue somebody or other. From Thailand or somewhere. Bet on lots of inarticulate grunting and heavy-duty automatic-weapons firepower. (my review) Meet the … more…

I was riding home tonight on the train, as I typically do when I need to get home, and we were stopped for a few minutes at 86th Street, on the express track. While I was waiting for the conductor or whoever to fix whatever the problem was, I noticed that someone had written, in … more…

Obviously I am a glutton for punishment. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days wasn’t excruciating enough, I guess, so now I shall force myself to endure the reunion of its stars, the cute but increasingly superfluous Kate Hudson and the someone-get-the-Raid-skeevy Matthew McConaughey in Fool’s Gold [opens wide February 8]. I cannot top … more…

Paramount is keeping a tight lid on the secret of what, exactly, is rampaging through Manhattan in the new monster movie Cloverfield, opening on Friday. Needless to say, I’ve got a few ideas: • a giant pigeon made super-ginormous by genetically engineered breadcrumbs • the bloated ego of Donald Trump • the psychic manifestation of … more…

So I was hoping that the screening madness would calm down a bit in January, and this looks like my week to take advantage of that: I’m gonna catch Cloverfield [opens wide January 18] on Tuesday night, and that’s gonna be my only movie of the week. (Not counting DVDs, of which I have a … more…

The Bucket List What dreams would you fulfill if you knew you were gonna die soon? Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in the first movie from the Make a Wish Foundation for Geezers. (my review) First Sunday Ice Cube and a couple of other idiots hatch a scheme to rob their local church of … more…

I thought things were gonna settle down in January, but it looks like I’m not gonna get a break: I’ve got nine screenings scheduled for this week, plus a possible not-screened-for-critics multiplex showing when that movie opens on Friday. There’s just too many damned movies opening. I mean, I love movies, obviously, but if I … more…

One Missed Call Poor saps predestined for horrible ends get phone calls on their cells alerting them to their upcoming gruesome deaths. Cruelest irony: the calls don’t come on free nights and weekends. (not screened for critics, and I’m giving it a pass until DVD… and maybe even then, too)

When I look out over the next few months, I see a vast wasteland of stupid comedies, unscary horror movies, and insipid dramas: the studios know this is a fallow time, with the kids back at school and grownups nesting in the winter cold, and, as usual, they’re saving the good stuff for later in … more…

The IFC Center in Greenwich Village is one of the nicest multiplexes in New York — comfy seats, particularly yummy popcorn, pleasantly hip bar and restaurant included — and it features one of the most eclectic screening schedules in the city. Starting today, and running for two weeks, it is showing Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and … more…