film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
It’s not interested in a world absent the incalculably enormous impact of the Beatles. It’s just a lazy comedy of one running joke, a regular schmoe enjoying unwarranted success, and a blah romance.
There’s not a lot new here, but the vintage footage is fab, as is the much-needed reminder that the supposedly innocent past was hardly innocent at all.
This isn’t a children’s movie… and yet it kind of is, too, with its odd mishmash of social realism, action thrills, misplaced comedy, and simplistic drama.
Arbitrary and inconsistent rules of time travel in aid of creepy romantic manipulation and temporal stalking. But hey, at least it’s got Bill Nighy!
Wouldn’t it be amazing if women protagonists had the opportunity to keep jumping back in time until they could get their lives just the way they want them? Ah, but that would require a movie with a female protagonist…
Plus, Avatar sex toys, Cory Doctorow on the real cost of free, how the rich buy journalists, and more.
Every week my browser gets cluttered up with tabs for stuff that I stumble across and figure I might be able to use as a Question of the Day or a WTF Thought for the Day or grist for some other post. And inevitably, I end the week with most of that material unused. But … more…
Made of spoilers. Don’t read until you’ve seen the episode.
From Neil Gaiman’s own Twitpic feed: That’s Gaiman on the right, Steven Moffat in the middle, and Richard Curtis (who will also be contributing a script to an upcoming series of Doctor Who) on the left. (Thanks to the many readers, including Kat and Keith, who sent me this via email and Facebook.) That’s pretty … more…
Bill Nighy and Richard Curtis collaborated on a little film explaining why taking a few pennies from millionaires — who wouldn’t even notice! — in order to help the planet would be a good thing. Because it just sounds like such a horrible idea! Pretty brilliant move, calling it the Robin Hood Tax. Who doesn’t … more…
