entertainment » movies
"Code Name: The Cleaner" should be wiped off the screen
By Jasleen Salwan | Jan. 8, 2007, midnight | In Movies »
The idea behind "Code Name: the Cleaner" — a silly comedy about a man who loses his memory — is one we've seen before (think "50 First Dates"). But this movie also features cool action scenes, which are supposed to separate it from the lame romantic comedy. Unfortunately, not even the most exciting fights in "Cleaner" compensate for its meaningless storyline and cheesy jokes.
"Children” of the future
By Caitlin Schneiderhan | Jan. 7, 2007, midnight | In Movies »
Machine gun fire shatters the air. The wall of a nearby building explodes outwards, showering those running for cover in debris. A woman screams — and is abruptly silenced by the "pop" of a pistol. Men and women round the corner, running for some kind of shelter, only to be met with soldiers in tanks, who open fire on all they see. Something that could only be blood splatters on the camera lens which records the humanity in a way that is somehow both removed and compassionate. Iraq? No — this is England, part of the "civilized" west, 20 years from now.
Good riddance to "Good German"
By Laura Mirviss | Jan. 7, 2007, midnight | In Movies »
Suppose you're a director and your name is Steven Soderbergh. You've directed "Oceans" 11 and 12, "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich." You've proven your prowess, and are bestowed with complete artistic license on an independent movie starring three bodacious heavyweights: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguire. You have the talent, cinematography and screenplay — and you flop. You shoot for avant-garde black-and-white 1940's film noir, but you try too hard and forget the basics — like plot construction. Unfortunately, "The Good German" cannot be sustained on artsy-fartsy camera work alone, when the plot is rife with inconsistencies.
"Dreamgirls" sparkles, shines and fades away
By Johanna Gretschel | Dec. 31, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
"Dreamgirls" was jinxed from the start. Any film generating Oscar buzz for months before its theatrical release is doomed to suffer the curse of unfulfilled expectations. Add that the semi-biographical film centers around the 1960s black music industry and stars Jamie Foxx and comparisons to Foxx's 2004 Oscar-winning film "Ray" are unavoidable. Unfortunately, "Dreamgirls" is nowhere near the same caliber film as the impeccable "Ray."
Night at the Mausoleum
By Sarah Kinter | Dec. 29, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
"You know how they say that in good museums history comes alive? Well in this one, it actually does."
Take a well-deserved "Holiday"
By Kate Harter | Dec. 22, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Ever wish you could just take a quick holiday? Leave town—and everyone in it—and just set off on an adventure by yourself for two weeks, so that you can start over? In "The Holiday," Amanda and Iris are able to do just that.
"Unaccompanied Minors": Every child's dream
By Julia Mazerov | Dec. 21, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Twas' the night before Christmas and all through the airport, ran loose five unaccompanied minors, left alone to cavort. Sound like a typical Christmas Eve? It certainly wasn't for a particular group of scraggly and disheveled kids, who find themselves stranded at Hoover Airport sans parents because of a blizzard in Warner Bros.' latest flick, "Unaccompanied Minors."
Minors Only!
By Josie Callahan | Dec. 20, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
"THUMP!" The pitter-patter of shoes kick the back of the chair. Above the volume of the previews, the unmistakable crunching of popcorn, slurping of soda, and rustling of candy wrappers can be heard. THUMP…CRUNCH…SLURP…THUMP…. The movie theater seems to explode with the cacophony of noise that can only mean one thing: small children. A warning to parents, babysitters, and older siblings alike: drop the minors off at the door, and run, do not walk away from "Unaccompanied Minors."
"Charlotte's Web" won't catch all
By Rachita Sood | Dec. 20, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Most teenagers can remember reading "Charlotte's Web," the classic E.B. White novel, with delight and awe in elementary school English classes. Fast-forward ten years and the story loses much of its charm. For this reason, director Gary Winick's screen adaptation may not hold the attention of most Blazers, but the movie is a simplistically well done film for another generation to delight over.
"Eragon" excels
By Priyanka Gokhale | Dec. 20, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
The most frequent complaint about the movie Eragon will be its similarity to other recent fantasy films. A fight in a dusty farmhouse will remind the audience of the famous Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp "brawl-in-a-barn" scene from "Pirates of the Caribbean." The magic spells cast will "conjure" images from the most recent "Harry Potter" installment, and the plethora of sword-wielding and the presence of fantastical creatures are reminiscent of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But take these battles up with Eragon's author, Christopher Paolini—these parallels originated from the book, not the movie—because as a film, "Eragon" works.
The "Black Gold" that makes the world go round
By Amanda Pollak | Dec. 17, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
As you sip your next latte, savoring its rich bitterness and creamy texture, think of the workers of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union, who toil away, malnourished, often for 50 cents a day, to make your caffeine surge possible. Or at least that's what "Black Gold," a new documentary by Nick and Mark Francis, would like. Though it may not get in the way of the global empire that is today's modern coffee giants, it serves as a poignant reminder that everything good comes at a cost — which in this case are the millions of people of the third world who remain dependent on the trade.
"Bobby" bores
By Lingfeng Li | Dec. 4, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
"Bobby" is the title of the film. The tagline for the film is entirely about Bobby. Historical footage of Bobby begin and end the film. The film was marketed as coverage of Bobby's assassination. But instead of focusing on Robert F. Kennedy — "Bobby" — director-screenwriter Emilio Estevez centers his Faulkner-esque mosaic on the perspectives of 22 different people, and none of them are named Bobby.
The spirit of "Bobby" lives on
By Gus Woods | Nov. 28, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
"He saw wrong and tried to right it. He saw suffering and tried to heal it. He saw war and tried to stop it," so goes the tagline to "Bobby," a film that chronicles the lives of numerous witnesses to Robert F. Kennedy's assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
Let's leave the theater
By Julia Mazerov | Nov. 27, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
It was a nice try, but director Bob Odenkirk's "Let's go to Prison" simply failed to muster what 2005's prison movie "The Longest Yard" was able to— constant laughter from the audience. For starters, the film's horribly unoriginal title is such a turn-off and clear indication of how little the film has to offer. Though the movie had its moments, well, more like moment, the ridiculously infeasible and embarrassingly random plot twists left the audience sitting in silence as the credits rolled, wondering three things: if the movie had actually just ended, what had just occurred, and why they had just wasted the past two hours.
A considerable failure
By Brittany Allen | Nov. 27, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Christopher Guest is a man of many talents. He was the magic behind Nigel, the stupid death metal rocker in 1984's "This is Spinal Tap," most famous for upping the amplifier count from 10 to 11. He was the directing, writing and acting genius behind the hilarious mockumentaries "Best in Show," "Waiting for Guffman" and "A Mighty Wind," along with the stony-faced Eugene Levy, who has also been in most of Guest's pictures. He was even the six-fingered man in "The Princess Bride." In this business, everything he seems to touch turns to comic gold — but Guest's gift for farcical hijinks and poking fun at human eccentricities is lost in his latest venture, "For Your Consideration."
"'Dreck' the Halls"
By Madeline Raskulinecz | Nov. 27, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Good Christmas movies are hard to come by. For every "It's a Wonderful Life," there are hundreds of holiday flicks with no heart, no inspiration and seemingly no scriptwriter — movies like "Deck the Halls."
"The Fountain" without leaks
By Alexis Egan | Nov. 26, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
What if the one person you loved was dying? Dying of a supposedly incurable disease? You've done everything you can to save them, but it's not working. What if you learned there might be a chance, a hope in the form of the Mayan Tree of Life? "The Fountain" explores this possibility while also revealing a perspective on life, death and acceptance.
Ready to get "Happy?"
By Kate Harter | Nov. 22, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Not many films can leave viewers with a happy feeling as they exit the theatre, and not many can boast of keeping the audience laughing throughout the entire film. But "Happy Feet," directed by George Miller, does just that: leaves its audience with stomachs that ache from laughing but hearts full of delight.
'Royale' fun
By Pia Nargundkar | Nov. 22, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
A blond Bond? Longtime fan of 007 were shocked with the choice of Daniel Craig to succeed the charming Pierce Brosnan. Yet, Craig, with his piercing blue eyes, makes an oA blond Bond? Longtime fans of 007 were shocked with the choice of Daniel Craig to succeed the charming Pierce Brosnan in the long running James Bond movie series. Yet, Craig, with his piercing blue eyes, makes an outstanding, though colder, James Bond in the new "Casino Royale." utstanding, though colder, James Bond in the new "Casino Royale."
Party with the penguins
By Mary Donahue | Nov. 21, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Warning: this movie may cause audience members to get out in the aisles and dance. As hard as it may be, please refrain from this behavior, as it obscures the view of other audience members. Thank you for your consideration.
"The Return" should never have arrived
By Erica Turner | Nov. 15, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
You know those movies that have really frightening previews on television but then just end up being so completely confusing that they're not even close to scary? If not, check out director Asif Kapadia's latest film, "The Return." Although this film is advertised as a thriller, the confusion of the plot is the only thing that will make you want to scream.
A lot of truth in "Stranger Than Fiction"
By Boris Vassilev | Nov. 14, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
Harold Crick, the IRS agent, stands in front of the mirror and counts his brush strokes. Little numbers seem to appear before his eyes, neatly queued, each waiting to be tallied as the toothbrush runs up and down each tooth. In fact, this formula seems to apply for every aspect of Harold's life, a sequence of properly ordered and calculated events. This seemingly tidy life is turned upside down in Marc Forster's enjoyable dark comedy, "Stranger Than Fiction."
"Flushed" from so much laughing
By Kate Harter | Nov. 11, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
"Flushed Away" is a hit with kids. A big hit. So big, it was sold out the night after it premiered and was then packed the next day with youngsters ready to laugh their pants off and have the time of their lives. And that's saying something.
"Flushed Away" is flush full of fun
By Sarah Kinter | Nov. 10, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
The charm of "Flushed Away," a new and brilliant animated film about English sewer rats, is in the details. Blink and you'll miss the Kafka-reading cockroach, the British Nemo knock-off ("'Ave you seen me dad?"), the eggbeater speedboats and the doomsayer rat wearing not a sandwich board, but an actual sandwich.
Bragging rights for "Borat"
By Ashley Lau | Nov. 8, 2006, midnight | In Movies »
In the pleading words of Borat Sagdiyev, "Please come see my movie, if not success, I will be execute." It looks like Kazakhstan's sixth most famous man will be keeping his head.
We found 619 results.