A lot of characters in Sin City lose their head, and if you’ re a fan of the graphic novels, you’ ll probably lose your head too over Frank Miller’s Sin City, pulp fiction so thick and perverse it literally oozes off the theater screen. Director Robert Rodriguez, the independent firebrand who changed the face of low budget cinema with El Mariachi and Spy Kids, doesn’t borrow from Miller’s series of graphic novels about the thugs, pugs and jugs. Read the rest of this entry »

In “Extreme Ops,” a team of extreme sports enthusiasts have been hired by a commercial director to outrun an avalanche in the Austrian Alps. You know “Extreme Ops” is a bad film when you root for the avalanche. Read the rest of this entry »

I have two confessions to make. The first one is that I am a big “Beach Blanket Bingo” fan. Not just “Beach Blanket Bingo,” but “Beach Party,” “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini,” “Muscle Beach Party” and just about every film with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. Read the rest of this entry »

The logistics of getting a whole baseball stadium to do the wave are staggering. Imagine trying to get the whole Eastern seaboard of the United States to do the wave simultaneously. That’s the task of director Mimi Leder, who capably brings the first of this season’s two comet movies to the big screen. “Deep Impact” takes a human look at an extinction level event, the threat of a comet the size of Manhattan colliding with Earth. Read the rest of this entry »

In 1966, filmmaker Woody Allen released “What’s Up, Tiger Lily?” Originally a dreadful Japanese spy thriller released to take advantage of the James Bond phenomenon, Allen re-edited and re-dubbed the film to turn it into a satirical comedy sending up the genre. Read the rest of this entry »

One look at Wayne (Robert Redford) and Eileen Hayes (Helen Mirren) confirms the existence of the American dream. Successful, proud parents and grandparents, a good home and a good life. Look closer and you’ll notice dings in their perfect marriage, distance between them and their children, and an American dream that’s about to become a nightmare. Read the rest of this entry »

The President of the United State’s daughter has been kidnapped, and only one man can bring her back alive: Special Ops officer Robert Scott (Val Kilmer), whose background and uncompromising attitude make him just as dangerous as his prey. Read the rest of this entry »

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

Decidedly darker than its predecessor, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is also more satisfying and entertaining. Mere mortal words will have affect on your decision to see the film, but for those on the fence, there is good news and bad news. Good, because “Chamber of Secrets” is everything a sequel should be and more. Bad unless you pre-bought your tickets for this weekend.
Read the rest of this entry »

Wow! Has it really been 25 years since National Lampoon unleashed “Animal House” on an unsuspecting public? My, how time flies by. 25 years later, National Lampoon is back on campus with “Van Wilder,” a quasi-update of the original “Animal House.” Since “Animal House” is a classic of its type, it would be impossible to improve or duplicate the formula. Read the rest of this entry »

When animal activists break into an animal research laboratory and release a monkey infected with a "rage" virus, they set into motion a series of apocalyptic events captured with horrifying intensity by director Danny Boyle in "28 Days Later." Shot on digital video to give the events a sense of urgency, "28 Days Later" is a tidy little horror thriller that pits a small group of survivors against an ever growing horde of psychotic zombies. Read the rest of this entry »