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At the Grindhouse
There are many new movies opening this weekend, but the most talked about one(s) is Grindhouse, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s twin-bill homage to ’70s-era exploitation films. Given its preference for replication rather than reinvention, it’s not surprising to find that the project is something of a mixed-bag. Yet it’s nonetheless one that – as…
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Black Book (2006): C+
Paul Verhoeven tries to go respectable with the WWII drama Black Book, and the question that persists is: Who wants a respectable Paul Verhoeven? Naysayers be damned, the Dutch firebrand’s finest work remains his disreputable American films – Robocop, Basic Instinct, Starship Troopers, and the undervalued (and, by some revisionists, now slightly overvalued) Showgirls –…
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Smaller Portion
Today’s collection of links isn’t as plentiful as those of the past few weeks. As always, however, what counts isn’t quantity, but quality – which, come to think of it, is precisely what’s lacking in two of the below three films. This Friday: Blades of Glory (Slant magazine) Future Fridays: Are We Done Yet? (Slant…
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The Many Reinventions of Laura Dern
After missing an opportunity to interview Guy Pearce for last month’s issue of SOMA (due to the birth of my second daughter), I was fortunate enough to get a chance to speak with Laura Dern for a feature that appears in their April issue. The article – “From Inland Empire to Year of the Dog:…
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The Hills Are Alive…
…with the sound of unscreened cheapie horror films. While I’ll be spending this afternoon enduring the latest sequel-to-a-remake-of-a-classic-that-had-its-own-sequel (which this new one isn’t based upon), I’ve first got a batch of new review links for this fine Friday morning, including ones for my latest guest appearance over at Cinematical (First Snow), my final New Directors/New…
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March Madness
Between my recent TV appearance, finishing up a new SOMA magazine feature (more on that later), and tons of screenings, it’s been quite a weird – and busy – week. But before I get to the reviews proper, a few quick-hit thoughts… For those who dug Shaun of the Dead, rest assured that Edgar Wright…
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Primetime 300 Punditry
Hey all. Just wanted to drop a quick, self-promotional note saying that yours truly will be appearing on G4TV’s “Attack of the Show” tonight (7pm EST, check local listings) to discuss Zack Snyder’s 300. Prepare for TV glory… UPDATE: The video of your friendly neighborhood Weirdo Beardo Critic is now online, and available at the…
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Back to the Negative
So much for all that positivity. This week’s link dump – including my first three reviews from The Film Society of Lincoln Center and MOMA’s “New Directors/New Films” series – is full of halfhearted recommendations and outright pans, the latter group led by Zack Snyder’s disappointingly dreadful 300. Now: 300 (Slant magazine) Beyond the Gates…
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My Positivity Runneth Over
Aside from New York Film Festival coverage, this week seems to mark a first in my criticism career: not one, not two, but THREE separate 3.5-star reviews. Add a few more affirmative write-ups to the mix, and what you’ve got is the most positive link dump in recent memory, highlighted by a film destined to…
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A Brief Oscar Recap, Award-Style
Funniest Part: Jerry Seinfeld advocating movie theater littering, while the crowd laughed uncomfortably. Scariest Part: Jennifer Hudson’s jiggling cleavage during the Dreamgirls number. Strangest PA Comment: That J-Lo is the best reason to upgrade to HDTV (a close second: that the Little Miss Sunshine screenwriter was once Matthew Broderick’s personal assistant). Best Comedy Killer: Tom…
