The year is 2022, and America is “a nation reborn.” Unemployment is at 1 percent, and the crime rate is at a record low — all thanks to the New Founding Fathers, who have sanctioned a 12-hour period each year for society to purge itself of its pent-up violent aggression. Read More…
Besides clowns, magicians have the misfortune of being everyone’s least favorite entertainers. They are often cheesy, tacky, deceptive and, above all else, sequined. However, with a dynamic plot as his cape and a star-studded cast as his wand, director Louis Leterrier takes this tired image and makes it disappear. “Now Read More…
Following his 2010 Oscar win for his adaptation of “Precious” from Sapphire’s novel “Push,” Geoffrey Fletcher returns with his self-penned directorial debut, “Violet & Daisy,” which opens nationwide Friday. Discussing the difference between the experience of adapting versus working with original material, Fletcher explained, “With an adaptation, you’re creating and Read More…
What’s so seductive about the “Before” movies, which consist of “Before Sunrise” (1995), “Before Sunset” (2004) and the upcoming “Before Midnight,” is the unique concept of following two very flawed but likable and engaging people and watching how their unorthodox relationship changes every nine years. By now, it would perhaps Read More…
In a world of stupid movies, “The Hangover III” does not stand out. The Wolf Pack returns with yet another inane movie that rides on Zach Galifianakis’ strange facial expressions and obtrusive figure. However, that’s exactly what the movie is supposed to be: The audience comes in expecting nothing more Read More…
Two best friends sit in bed together. One gingerly asks the other to “tell the story of us.” In scenes before and after, we’ve seen them laugh, drink, cry and play-fight. They are inseparable, vibrant and dynamic. “Only the young have such moments,” wrote Joseph Conrad in his 1917 novella Read More…
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…
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…
