Many panels at this year’s South By Southwest Interactive have revolved around the introduction of something new – new technologies, applications, visions or theories. But one of the most intriguing panels I’ve attended thus far was also one of the least declarative. It was held Saturday afternoon, was dubbed “Time Traveling: …
There was something of a collective shrug at the Austin Convention Center Friday afternoon, following the much-anticipated presentation by Google’s Marissa Mayer. But that said, there was irony to be found in the lackluster response, serving as yet further proof of just how dominant the company has become, in providing and filtering …
Until The Adjustment Bureau sells out – philosophically, intellectually, conceptually – it’s a compelling yarn about the wool being peeled from one’s eyes, revealing the true nature of the universe, that “adjusters” constantly tweak our destinies to ensure we arrive at our predetermined destination.
In theory, it’s a spicy …
I’m surely not the only one who remembers the bitter aftertaste of January, 2009, when Christopher Nolan’s bleak, brilliant The Dark Knight was snubbed an Oscar nomination. One of the most popular and critically lauded films of the year, all but ignored on nomination morning, there was something of an open revolt online: How could the …
Any year that finds movies like Inception and The Social Network being tossed about as serious Oscar contenders is a good year for the film nerds. That would be guys like me, who could parse Blade Runner, analyze The Fountain and diagram Primer all day long. For us cinephile geeks, it was a very good year, filled with visions both bold …
This is not quite a full review here. I’ve read other TRON: Legacy reviews out there, and am more intrigued about the dialogue that’s starting to take shape. There are a handful of spoilers below, but my intention here is not to give the game away, merely to talk about what it all means. Come back and read Monday, if you’re more …
Okay people, listen up. My prediction is that, by year’s end, there will be four movies that never receive the props they deserve.
One goes by the name Unstoppable, and it opens next weekend. Best runaway train thriller in years. Retro giggles, the whole way through.
Movie number two: Let Me In. You can check out my lengthy review …
You’ve either seen Let the Right One In or you haven’t; either way, I’m betting you’ll love Let Me In, the uber-faithful, yet subtly distinctive, U.S. remake. I first saw clips of the movie at Comic-Con where director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) was clearly worried about alleviating concerns that he had taken a subtle, evocative …
I’ve seen The Social Network, and I think it’s the real deal: A near-flawless, groundbreaking, intoxicating vision of the time span during which a whole new world order defined itself. And I’ve found myself a little perplexed by all the critiques out there that have called into question the shallowness or flimsiness of the …
Once upon a time, back in the glory days of Hollywood’s studio system, vertical integration was the key. If a studio made a film, you could probably only see that movie in their theaters. From the ground up, until the Supreme Court struck it all down of course, the studios tried to perfect an insulated little system that they could …
Avatar is now officially back in movie theaters – only in 3D, with nine additional minutes of footage to woo all of those loyal fans who were still enamored with the glowing forests of Pandora when the movie was prematurely yanked from the nation’s theaters to make way for Alice in Wonderland in March.
I bought a ticket for the …
Oh, Piranha 3-D, we love you so. All the blood, all the screams, all the unneeded 3-D nudity – you’re so bad, but so, so right.
It might just be our top guilty pleasure of the year – and the best B-movie in recent memory. Way better than “Snakes on a Plane,” right up there with “Grindhouse.” And it makes a giddy case for …