About halfway into the surprisingly enjoyable “Star Trek Into Darkness”, there is an engine problem aboard the Starship Enterprise. Dr. Bones (Karl Urban) tries with all his might to make Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) understand how serious it is, bombarding Kirk with metaphors that prove cringe-worthy. Yet Pine saves the Read More…
Near the middle of director Olivier Assayas’ new film, “Something in the Air,” we are treated to a film screening in Italy. The year is 1971, three years after the turbulent unrest of the French May 1968 protests. The movement, which was begun by university students, has broadened. In this Read More…
Some kind of congratulations should be in order for Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.” Somehow, Luhrmann has managed to turn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic 1920s novel of wealth, excess and the death of the American Dream into something I never thought possible — dull. Yes, despite the extravagant Read More…
After the BP oil spill and the recent Occupy movement, people have become increasingly enraged at the ruthless prioritization of profit over probity. In the upcoming espionage thriller, “The East,” a group of eco-terrorists takes it upon itself to make sure no corporate crime goes unpunished. Gritty and thought-provoking, “The Read More…
In 1991, a young black actor gleefully pours his brother, who is arriving home from the army, a boiling hot cup of Folgers coffee. The corny Folgers commercial, one of Donald Faison’s first on-screen appearances, gave a first glimpse into his knack for comedy, over-the-top enthusiasm and just plain likability. Read More…
Chances are that most of us would love to be able to make a living expressing ourselves, whether through art, music, literature or film, and UC Berkeley time and again proves itself an institution that will give us that chance. The Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prizes in Film and Video, commonly Read More…
“In the House” balances beautifully the two things that French filmmakers do best — substantial natural dialogue and that singular sexuality inevitable in Francophone work — while reattributing them to a very different kind of story. Far from the Nouvelle Vague “Breathless” couples and quasi-sex-fantasy Brigitte Bardot fodder of the Read More…
Here’s a pitch that wouldn’t be hard to sell on a college campus — a religion about sex, drugs ‘n’ rock and roll. After all, many of us are already devotees to at least one of them. The co-directors, Maria Demopoulos and Jodi Wille, tell the story from the points Read More…
Much Ado About Nothing When one thinks of Shakespeare, the mind doesn’t naturally bend toward the sci-fi/supernatural wunderkind Joss Whedon. Known primarily for his forays into television (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Firefly”) and recent comic book box-office success with “The Avengers,” it seemed a slight surprise when it was announced Read More…
Movies with all-star casts are not the easiest to love. Usually, their budgets are so large that all they need to do is rely on their celebrity status to draw large crowds to movie theaters. Sure, they tell a funny story that will keep you entertained for 90 minutes, but Read More…
