M. Night Shyamalan movies make great trailers. He’s all about the high-concept hook—an easy-to-explain premise that sucks you in right away. The thing that the movie studio is selling this time out is that “The Happening,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, is his first rated-R effort. I have to admit, the idea perked my […]
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The one and only thing the new Adam Sandler vehicle “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” has going for it is that it is so profoundly ridiculous, so utterly devoid of substance, that it’s hard to level any serious criticism at the film. Supernaturally gifted Israeli secret agent Zohan (Sandler) has tired of killing and […]
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An out-of-place “Law & Order”-style opening narration clues you in that “The Strangers” was “inspired by real events.” The authoritative voice goes on to tell you some statistics about violent crime (as the movie prints them for us to read as well) before ending with the shocking admission that, in this case, nobody really knows […]
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First things first, I have to declare a serious bias against “Sex and the City.” I have very publicly stated, to both friends and strangers, my curiously strong dislike of majority of the principle cast, and my objection to the general tone and to the repulsively materialistic center of the popular TV series and its […]
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I love movies about the power of movies. Believe me, I’m not a film critic because I think there’s a lot of money in it. I review movies because they hold this strange and exciting power over me and they have ever since I was a kid—the power to ignite the imagination. U.K. import “Son […]
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For all the fans out there still reeling from the fallout and disappointment caused by the profoundly unsatisfying “Star Wars” prequels let me quell your fears… this isn’t that. Remember kids, George Lucas’ name is attached to both franchises, but at the end of the day these are Stephen Spielberg movies. Sure, Lucas wrote the […]
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Moments after the final credits stopped the first Indiana Jones movie in 18 years, Eric and J.D. turn on the camera and record their instant reaction. Not only did they screen “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” early, but the movie played at the Screenland Armour, a 1920s theater in Kansas City that […]
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“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” gets our two reviewers a little worked up. J.D. is very prone to liking the fantasy films, and Eric’s still got something stuck in his craw about “Speed Racer.” Sounds like the makings of a good one…
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[Rock Fist Way Up] Remember when you were a kid and you discovered the joys of coloring books? If you were like me, you just wanted to fill in the spaces between those rigid black and white lines. But there was always that showoff whiz kid who used every one of those 64 Crayons and […]
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Directly after an advance screening of Marvel Comics’ “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey, Jr., Eric and J.D. give an Instant Review of the movie. Summer is here an the influx of superheroes is just beginning, but “Iron Man” is a cut above the rest. Thanks to a strong lead performane by Robert Downey, Jr., a […]
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What better actor to play a hard-drinking billionaire playboy than Robert Downey, Jr.—whose own well-publicized brushes with the law inform every scene he’s in? The actor’s real-life troubles serve as a kind of shorthand to the lead character on display, and it helps make “Iron Man” the smartest kind of dumb comic book movie. What we have […]
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With a title like “Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay,” it would seem that the makers of its equally ridiculously-titled predecessor “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle” had returned with a more politically flavored sequel—one that expanded the racial stereotype humor of the first to and set their comic sights a little higher. […]
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This is truly the worst type of film to review. “88 Minutes” is neither the worst film I’ve ever seen, nor is it in any way notable, remarkable, or original. This movie is why some critics use a rating system that allows them to call this what it is…a rent-it-on-DVD-some-sad-lonely-night-out-of-boredom-or-sheer-desperation movie. Or better yet, it’s […]
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Eric and J.D. discuss why Jason Segel is the new Seth Rogen (“Superbad”) and what makes “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” better than most romantic comedies of its ilk. It may have something to do with producer Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up, “The 40 Year-old Virgin”), but they’re pretty sure it has more to do with an unflinching […]
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Director/star Morgan Spurlock’s new documentary “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?” is a lot like singer/songwriter Ben Folds’ solo debut record, “Rockin’ the Suburbs.” If that sounds like a strange analogy, let me explain. Spurlock, whose 2004 movie “Super Size Me” blindsided the fast food industry and the box office, making a huge […]
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