How do you conclude a fourteen-year literary and cinematic legacy? Well if you’re director David Yates and writer Steve Kloves and the movie is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” then you make sure to toe the literary line, not wanting to excite or offend. This results in a film that is […]
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“Beginners” is impossible to describe in a way that does justice to this oddly sad, oddly funny, and thoroughly enjoyable film from Mike Mills. It does tell the story of a son dealing with the death of two parents from cancer, the homosexuality of his father, and an exciting and troubled romance. In spite of […]
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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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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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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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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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The signs were all there. No guest would accompany me to the film, the theater was only half full for the screening, I probably should have known, but I decided to give “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” a fair shake. I can say having sat through its full 91 minutes, that “Judy Moody” […]
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Woody Allen is back with his yearly cinematic offering. “Midnight in Paris” is a joyful and funny romantic comedy fairytale that follows Gil (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter who pines for a bygone era and a more vibrant artistic time. “Midnight in Paris” showcases Allen’s love of the title city and his love of the 1920s. […]
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One could say that I was intrigued by the hype surrounding “Super 8” I enjoyed the J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009, and I was interested in what he might craft when he turned his creative energies to a kids’ adventure movie. Unfortunately Abrams took a page out his producer, Steven […]
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It’s ironic that writer/director Chris Ordal’s quietly moving “Earthwork” opens its run at Liberty Hall in Lawrence the weekend after Governor Sam Brownback erased the funding for the Kansas Arts Commission, leaving the program with zero budget and no staff or offices. Shot almost entirely in Kansas and based on the true story of Lawrence, […]
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There are movies that make me wish I had the option of the split rock fist, a non-neutral symbol that says this film is as bad as it is good. That’s the way I feel about Matthew Vaughn’s “X-Men: First Class,” and I only grudgingly went with the slightly positive, because I walked out of […]
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