“The Invention of Lying” sounds like one of those perfect high-concept scripts: In a society where everyone tells the truth, one man learns how to lie and takes full advantage of it. But there’s so much more going on in the new movie from Ricky Gervais (star and creator of the original British The Office […]

Posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 | 3 Comments »

It’s been five years since the one-two punch of Zack Snyder’s amped-up “Dawn of the Dead” remake and Edgar Wright’s loving tribute “Shaun of the Dead” made the zombie movie mainstream entertainment again.
While not as clever as “Shaun” or as scary as parts of “Dawn,” the new horror comedy “Zombieland” does pull off a minor […]

Posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 | 3 Comments »

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut “Whip It” is so overflowing with enthusiastic performances that it is impossible to watch it and not have a good time.
Sure, you may notice an over-reliance on music montages to show the evolution of a budding teenage romance. You may also think you know where the movie is headed from the […]

Posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 | 1 Comment »

From “Time Bandits” in 1981 to “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” in 1998, every movie Terry Gilliam made was marked by visual invention and a wickedly dark sense of humor that made him one of the most consistently fascinating filmmakers. Unfortunately, since “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” famously collapsed in 2000, Gilliam […]

Posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 | No Comments »

The timing is right. The entire world is struggling to find its way out of a recession. Middle America is pissed off and broke. U.S. unemployment is soaring and the economic meltdown continues. So along comes the provocateur filmmaker who has spent the last 20 years raging against the machine, and he’s aiming at a […]

Posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | 12 Comments »

With the exception of a few arthouse hits, the type of Japanese films that gain notoriety in America tend to lean towards the violent or random. Potentially a little bit “weird” for the art crowd, and a little too “art” for the weirdos, “Fish Story” (Fisshu sutôrî) is a breath of fresh air that deserves […]

Posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 | No Comments »

“Paranormal Activity” movie review
Find out why Eric’s actual theater-going experience ruined the movie for him here.
I try really hard to go into movies without prejudice. But with the advertising tactics being employed to push “Paranormal Activity,” I’ve found it very difficult to not be extremely skeptical.
Take a look at the posters. They’re going for an […]

Posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 | 49 Comments »

Fame is fleeting and, by itself, unsatisfying. So what are we to conclude about a group of kids chasing a dream, not of being a great singer, dancer, or musician, but only trying to grab the spotlight for themselves?
“Fame,” the remake of the 1980 film, gives us a variety of characters from the meek Penny […]

Posted on Friday, September 25th, 2009 | No Comments »

Will Ferrell may have made a career out of playing caricatured man-child characters who don’t want to grow up, but the kind of sweetly stunted misfits who live in the real world (where you have to pay rent, get a job, and grow old) don’t quite look like Ferrell.
In the Humboldt Park area of Chicago, […]

Posted on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

I often dread going to see romantic comedies such as “Love Happens.” 1,000 times burned, 1,001 times shy. Romcoms are usually known for only their lack of originality, convoluted nature, and eagerness to play on overused themes.
As it happens, “Love Happens” isn’t a bad film. In fact its a fair bit better than I expected. […]

Posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 | No Comments »