film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
I’m stoked for my very early screening this week of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (opens in the U.K. on October 16, and in the U.S. on December 25), Terry Gilliam’s new movie and Heath Ledger’s last. I’m avoiding reading the reviews from Cannes, but I am intrigued to see how Gilliam manages to work … more…
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but all those zombies roaming the land aren’t gonna kill themselves. But you can have a multiplex-like experience at home with a collection of the right DVDs. And when someone asks you on Monday, “Hey, did you see Zombieland this weekend?” … more…
The newcomers can’t beat the food-as-weather fantasy: 1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: $30.3 million (2nd week; drops 17%) 2. Surrogates: $14.9 million (NEW) 3. Fame: $10 million (NEW) 4. The Informant!: $6.6 million (2nd week; drops 37%) 5. Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself: $4.8 million (3rd week; drops 52%) … more…
As of this writing, 15 movies will open wide in North America in the month of October. Which means that even if you’re an active moviegoer and see a movie each week, you’ve still gotta pick and choose (and it’s even worse if you’re in a city on the arthouse circuit, but let’s not make … more…
My critical colleague and fellow member of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists Jennifer Merin asks an intriguing question at About.com: Documentaries: Should Michael Moore stop making documentaries? Michael Moore’s new documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, may be his last. Or so suggests CNN.com’s Matt Carey, who questioned Moore about an interview in which the … more…
Gettin’ on a plane tomorrow for England, so screenings are pretty much out of the question. The only movie on my agenda for the week (unless I see something in England, which I probably won’t want to take the time out for) is the one I just came from a screening of: Drew Barrymore’s directorial … more…
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… Oh, I wish more people were as obnoxious and aggressive as Michael Moore. He’s just about the only one pushing back (other than Jon Stewart). I love to see how embarrassed those Wall Streeters are when he gets in their faces here. They should be embarrassed. But … more…
