In 1984, director John G. Avildsen and writer Robert Mark Kamen presented the world with a coming-of-age story about young high school student named Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) who moved to California and learned karate from kindly handyman Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). The Karate Kid was a hit and cultural touchstone for anyone who grew […]
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Russell Brand reprises his role as rockstar caricature Aldous Snow in “Get Him to the Greek,” a listless comedy that only aspires to be funny enough to keep the audience’s attention. Written and directed by “Yes Man” writer Nicholas Stoller, “Get Him to the Greek” follows young A&R man Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) as he […]
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Part “Frankenstein,” part “Species,” and part “Rosemary’s Baby,” the impressive horror/sci-fi/thriller “Splice” stars Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as arrogant genetic engineers who create a new lifeform in their laboratory and try to keep it secret. It wouldn’t be a horror flick if their experiment was a success and it bettered humankind, so it’s not […]
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What does it say about me that I can view a 90-minute movie about three people surgically joined ass-to-mouth called “The Human Centipede” and not think it completely over the top? Actually, it says quite a lot about some of the old-fashioned horror techniques of Dutch writer/director Tom Six that a movie with that premise […]
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The Robin Hood legend has been a staple of Hollywood cinema since Douglas Fairbanks slapped on a pair of tights and pranced around a backlot Sherwood Forest in 1922. Since then, Errol Flynn, a Disney cartoon fox, Kevin Costner, and Cary Elwes have all played the role, each with their own take, but the core […]
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Michael Bay is the producer that brought us remakes of “Friday the 13th” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (spun off into “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning”). He’s a smart businessman because horror is a profitable genre, made especially more profitable when a recognizable icon like Jason or Leatherface is attached to it. So it’s only […]
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“The Losers,” the latest from Sylvain White (director of “Stomp The Yard”) is an excellent example of not judging a movie by its trailer. In 90-second form, “The Losers” looks like a rapid-fire, self-aware action/comedy with a pointed soundtrack and likable ensemble. In reality, “The Losers” is painfully unremarkable, completely by-the-numbers sleeper that’s only remotely […]
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The Joneses are not your typical American family. Written and directed by Derrick Borte the film of suburban wealth is a social commentary on consumerism, family, greed, social prestige, and the acquisition of over-priced crap you don’t really need. The film opens with the Jones’ move into a plush new neighborhood. The family includes Steve […]
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Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is a prick. Everything central to the character, and to the movie, is contained in that sentence. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach (Margot at the Wedding, The Squid and the Whale), based on a story by Jennifer Jason Leigh (who has a small, and completely forgettable, role in the film), […]
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In the new 1970s-set rock biopic “The Runaways,” Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning tap into major reservoirs of their own angst from being thrust into the spotlight at an early age. And it’s eerily effective. Respectively, as 16-year old leather-clad guitarist Joan Jett and 15-year old Bowie-obsessed lead singer Cherie Curie, they project just the […]
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Click here to see my on-camera review on KTKA-49 with clips from the film. Steve Carell and Tina Fey, two of the most consistently funny people working in TV and movies today, star as a suburban married couple who spend one eventful night out on the town in Manhattan in “Date Night.” The premise itself […]
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Aside from the fact that “How to Train Your Dragon” includes Vikings and dragons, it’s very similar to a lot of the teenage comedies Hollywood has put out over the years. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is your typical Ugly Duckling character. Although the term “nerd” is never uttered, it is fair to say if the Vikings […]
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What makes a good erotic thriller? The simplest method I’ve found is what I call “the giggle test.” If either or both the dramatic and sexually-charged scenes of a movie make you giggle (or groan), it fails the test. An erotic thriller that makes you guffaw uncontrollably may become a cult classic (see Showgirls), but […]
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To check out my 1-minute video review of “Repo Men” with clips, check out the KTKA-49 website here. Remy (Jude Law) is a family man who lives a double life. He drives his son to school and then it’s off to work where he repossesses organs from people who haven’t kept up with their payments. […]
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Director Paul Greengrass and ever-reliable leading man Matt Damon team for a third time in “Green Zone,” an action-heavy, revisionist political thriller that takes place in Baghdad shortly after the U.S. invasion into Iraq. And while detractors will be quick to make the comparison to the duo’s previous outings together (the two previous chapters of […]
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