For a film that takes place 31 years in the future, “I, Robot” feels dated. Make that carbon dated. Filled with archaic ideas about robots on the rampage, “I, Robot,” based loosely (very loosely) on the Issac Asimov collection of science-fiction stories, is a big budget blender that can’t seem to separate the pulp from the fiction. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in the 1970’s, singer David Bowie was such an enigmatic character that it was only a matter of time before he wound up in the movies. Bowie made his debut in director Nicolas Roeg’s fascinating “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” based on the novel by Walter Tevis. Read the rest of this entry »

Since everything in Hollywood is based on perception, most celebrities are forced to keep their private lives private. It may have been easier back in Hollywood’s golden age, when gossip queens Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper were controlled by their publishers. With the expansion of cable and the Internet, keeping a secret has become impossible. Read the rest of this entry »

Sitting on the shelves of my video library are copies of films such as “Shaft,” “Coffy,” “Truck Turner” and “Superfly.” I have these films in my video library not because of their historical significance, but because of their personal significance. Read the rest of this entry »

I understand with so much on the line, movie studios feel compelled to sell the hell out of their wares, but must they insist on throwing out the baby with the bath water? Are the people cutting film trailers today so brain-dead that the only thing they’re capable of delivering is an encapsulated version of the film? Read the rest of this entry »

Stylish vampire film looks great, but after all is said and done, the effort becomes anemic. Director Richard Elfman does an excellent job of making the film an exercise in visual delights, but the screenplay by Matthew Bright is extremely pedestrian. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s something to offend just about everyone in “South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut.” It’s rude, crude, vulgar, racist and sick. The sad part is that I enjoyed the film. I laughed a lot, and if it weren’t for the excessive musical numbers, I would have given it my highest rating. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a spattering of irony in the nostalgic “Rock Star,” a 1985 look at the world of heavy metal and the people who orbit it. To be honest, I was never a metal-head. I was one of those squares who liked to hear the music and understand the lyrics. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember it like it was yesterday. 1961. The old Fox Santa Paula Theater. I was only five then, but I clearly remember how much I liked Walt Disney Pictures “The Parent Trap.” I was an instant Haley Mills groupie. I didn’t dare miss any of her following films, like “That Darn Cat,” “In Search of the Castaways,” and “Summer Magic.” Read the rest of this entry »

Before I begin, I must admit that I believe Drew Barrymore is a national treasure. Her last three films, “The Wedding Singer,” “Ever After” and “Home Fries,” proved that the former child star is as talented as she is adorable. Read the rest of this entry »