“A Man Apart,” the new but at least two-year-old film starring Vin Diesel, is a throwback to action-revenge thrillers like “Deathwish” and “Dirty Harry.” A story about a drug enforcement agent pushed over the edge after the murder of his wife, “A Man Apart” would be more at home playing on a drive-in movie screen, where audiences could enjoy a couple of brews and a joint to slip into the mindless action and chaos. Read the rest of this entry »

“Elf” may not be a modern classic holiday movie like “The Santa Clause” or “The Grinch That Stole Christmas,” but as my mother said when the doctor yanked me from her loins, “It’s a keeper.” Read the rest of this entry »

All is fair in love and war, but it’s the romance that really screws up things. Take the new World War II film “Enemy at the Gates.” Here’s a really gripping drama about two professional snipers that gets shot down by a meaningless love story. Read the rest of this entry »

Brilliant is a word that I don’t use very often. It’s over used, especially if it’s used to describe someone like director Terrence Malick. He’s good, but he’s not brilliant. Every now and then, actors can be brilliant, or at least deliver a brilliant performance. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, you instantly know you’re in the company of brilliance. Read the rest of this entry »

Standing pool side in his black Speedos, hair wet and water dripping down his chest, Jesse Bradford (Clockstoppers) looks like another in a long line of post-pubescent Calvin Kline underwear models. He’s as cute as a button, and his character in “Swimfan,” Ben Cronin, is about as smart as one. Read the rest of this entry »

The buddy movie is alive in well in the form of “Rush Hour,” a thoroughly engaging action-comedy teaming Asian superstar Jackie Chan with American comedian Chris Tucker (“Friday“). It’s a tried and true formula that when it works, works well. The buddy cop comedy has been around for decades. Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the last twenty minutes of “Quartermass and the Pit.” It must be at least two dozen. However, I’ve never seen the entire film from beginning to end. I usually come across it while flipping from channel to channel looking for something to watch. Read the rest of this entry »

Actors are always complaining that there just are not enough good scripts floating around. Instead of complaining, actors Matt Damon (The Rainmaker) and Ben Affleck (Chasing Amy) wrote a screenplay for themselves. “Good Willing Hunting” is the movie they wrote, and as Hollywood’s latest double-hyphenates, are about to set the town on fire. “Good Willing Hunting,” as directed by Gus Van Sant, is a solid, entertaining tale of coming of age tale filled with sharp, smart dialogue. Read the rest of this entry »

MEXICAN EXPRESS MENU

NOVEMBER 15

CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Warner Home Video)EDUKATORS (Sony)HAPPY ENDINGS (Lion’s Gate)MADAGASCAR (DreamWorks) Read the rest of this entry »

Tradition! That’s what “Fiddler on the Roof” is all about. The Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick-Joseph Stein musical made it’s Broadway debut in 1964, and by the time it reached the big screen in 1971, had gone on to become of the most beloved stage musicals of all time. The stage role of Tevye, the Jewish dairyman trying to marry off his five daughters, was originated by Zero Mostel. Read the rest of this entry »