You might have heard that Tom Hanks’ new film, Larry Crowne, isn’t just an acting vehicle – Hanks also cowrote the script with Nia Vardalos, and he even dircted the picture. None of this is surprising, though, after seeing the film, as Larry Crowne could pass as the standard for an actor-directed film. In it, we follow […]
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This movie review of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” appears on KTKA-49. The first “Transformers” movie was basically an absurdist teen sex comedy featuring sentient cars that turn into robots and some silly go-for-broke rewriting of American history. Its 2009 sequel was a more serious, more ridiculous, less fun version that lasted 2 ½ hours […]
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I’ll begin with an analogy. Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome (PSAS) is a medical condition, which is marked by consistent unwanted sexual arousal and orgasm. Those of us who don’t have the disease may grin or chuckle and think that PSAS might not be so bad. Those with the disease often describe it as distracting to […]
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This Blu-ray review of “Battle: Los Angeles” and “Tigerland” appears on KTKA-49. “Battle: Los Angeles,” released in theaters earlier this spring and “Tigerland,” a Vietnam-era movie from the year 2000, are both new out on DVD and Blu-ray. At first glance, the only thing they have in common is that they’re both war movies. Granted, […]
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This movie review of “Cars 2” appears on KTKA-49. Since Pixar’s “Cars” was released in 2006, we’ve been able to look forward to a new movie from the premier animation studio in America every summer. Every movie since then has been a huge box office success and has won Pixar the Best Animated Feature Oscar. […]
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With last month’s Bridesmaids becoming that rare surprise success with audiences, critics, and box office alike, many have insisted that the female raunchy comedy is about to get a moment in the sun. Perfectly timed, we have Bad Teacher arriving in theaters today, practically begging to be treated as a litmus test – was Bridesmaids […]
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Stupidity wins the day, as Mater the tow truck (Larry the Cable Guy) gets center stage in Pixar’s latest film, “Cars 2.” This movie takes on big oil and bungled friendships, while the globe-trotting Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) tears up the racing circuit, and Mater finds himself the master of inadvertent espionage. “Cars 2” opens […]
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Eric’s review was posted here already, but I watched “The Tree of Life” this past weekend and was also inspired to write this review: Watching “The Tree of Life,” one sentence kept recurring to me: “Humility is appropriate.” Is that statement with regard to writer and director Terrence Malick? Maybe, but given that he doesn’t […]
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This review of “The Hustler” and “The Comancheros” 50th Anniversary Blu-ray editions appears on KTKA-49. What better way for Dad to spend Father’s Day than relaxing on the couch with two of Hollywood’s manliest screen personas? New on Blu-ray now is “The Hustler,” with Paul Newman playing Fast Eddie Felson, the role that would cement […]
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This movie review of “Green Lantern” appears on KTKA-49. A brash, but talented young fighter pilot pursues romance, faces the biggest challenge of his life, and is forced to grow up and accept responsibility in this high-flying adventure film starring one of Hollywood’s biggest hunks. No, it’s not “Top Gun,” but with its cheesy, synthesized […]
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We are bombarded by moving images in every facet of our lives. There are video screens everywhere. The way in which audio and video are cut together in ads, TV shows, and online marketing these days has created a contemporary film language that’s like shorthand to us. It takes very little effort on our part […]
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Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) can’t make up his mind. He doesn’t know whether he wants to be the hotshot flying ace who always has a clever one-liner; the tortured young man, who still suffers from the loss of his father; or the superhero and the dutiful boyfriend. He better hurry up and decide, because a […]
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If Jim Carrey shows up in your romantic comedy or family film, you should have a hunch that he’s probably living life the wrong way. He could be taking things for granted, ignoring what’s important, or not living life to the fullest. All he needs is a little push, some outside force to give him […]
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This DVD/Blu-ray review of “Just Go With It” appears on KTKA-49. Back in February, when I reviewed the new below-average formulaic romcom from Adam Sandler, “Just Go With It,” I complained about how tired and crammed full of cheap jokes it was. Nothing’s changed there–the unfortunate movie remains the same. And it’s a shame that […]
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This review of “Super 8” appears on KTKA-49. J.J. Abrams channels his inner Spielberg, with help from the blockbuster maestro of the 80s who served as producer, on “Super 8,” a refreshing change of pace for summer flicks. It’s just too bad that Abrams has made such a big deal about not letting any secrets […]
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