“The Spanish Prisoner” is an anomaly, a small, independent, intelligent film that completely defies the rules. It’s an exception and a alternate to the big-budget fair that is currently playing. Those looking for something intelligent will be pleasantly surprised by director-writer David Mamet’s tricky tale of con men and one poor sap who falls into their game. Read the rest of this entry »

If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then the makers of "XXX" are full of it. Their shameless attempt to duplicate the James Bond films as a franchise for action star Vin Diesel proves that money speaks louder than logic. "XXX" (triple X) has obviously been manufactured for an audience who only remember original James Bond Sean Connery from his work in "Highlander." Read the rest of this entry »

You really can’t blame them. They are powerless to do anything. Once they fall under her spell, the men in Jewel’s (Liv Tyler) life become her playthings. Jewel isn’t your ordinary garden variety femme fatale. She’s like the siren who lures men to their death. They know she’s trouble, but they can’t help themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

I was way too young to appreciate “Gone with the Wind” the first time I saw it in a theater. All I knew was that it was long, and someone got mad and burned down a town. Ah, sweet, innocent memories of my youth. That was then, this is now, and after having watched “Gone with the Wind” for the first time in years, I have fallen in love with the film all over again. Read the rest of this entry »

If indeed there are 13 levels of hell, the filmmaker’s behind “The Thirteenth Floor” make no apologies for dragging us through each and every one of them.

A dull, dreary exercise, “The Thirteenth Floor” is another example of style of substance. The film looks sensational, largely thanks to cinematographer Wedigo von Schultzendorff and production designer Kirk M. Petruccelli, who have created there distinct worlds in which the characters inhabit. Read the rest of this entry »

Like a bowl on gumbo left out on the sitting porch all night, The Skeleton Key is thick and tasteless. You have a better chance of swallowing stagnant Bayou water filled with fly-infested alligator feces than keeping down this creaky ghost story about soul swapping. Read the rest of this entry »

“The Flying Serpent” is a hoot, but the title creature isn’t an owl. It’s a mythological Aztec flying lizard. Honest. You can trust me, because I keep one in my bedroom closet. Read the rest of this entry »

Although many have tried, none have succeeded in capturing King Arthur’s Camelot better than director John Boorman, whose “Excalibur” is the quintessential telling of the myth. Produced and directed by Boorman from a bold, bright script by Rospo Pallenberg and Boorman, “Excalibur” is both dazzling and dark, filled with memorable images and characters that stay with you long after the film has come to an end. Read the rest of this entry »

At first thought, director Radley Metzger is a curious choice to direct mainstream ensemble thriller. Once one of Europe’s most noted soft-core directors (“Therese & Isabelle,” “Camille 2000”), spent the majority of the 1970s directing ground-breaking porno movies under the name of Henry Paris. Read the rest of this entry »

The heart of rock and roll is still beating in writer-director Cameron Crowe’s affectionate, knowing nostalgic nod to his teenage years as a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine.

Anyone who was old enough and conscious to appreciate the early 1970s will totally fall in love with Crowe’s glorious Valentine to rock and roll. This film couldn’t have come from someone who wasn’t there. His observations are so passionate you feel like you’ve been transported back to 1973.
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