Having taken on Being a Good Husband (and the importance of Jesus in such an endeavor) with Fireproof, the good people at Sherwood Pictures are quite naturally moving on to Being a Good Father (and the importance of Jesus, etc.). …

I mean, besides gracing the Reader with the gift of your visit? Thank you for that. Still, there's something to be said for heading over to the San Diego Film Festival website and letting their Festival Genius guide you through …

All these quizzes and I can't even get past the credits! Here is a collection of crazy characters culled from closing crawls, one-of-a-kind credits, and offbeat advisory openers. There's even a typo! Your mission, should you decide to accept it, …

We're coming up on Halloween, so that means it's once again time for Reading Cinemas to turn a couple of their screens over to birds, Bates, and bottles of nuclear-powered champagne for their annual “Hitchcocktober” celebration. A classic film directed …

While visiting Disneyland earlier this year, the nice folks at Critter Country told me I could get my picture taken with Goofy. Some Goof! Turns out it was a pituitary case wearing cloth ears and padded felt buck teeth. Word …

Is Hollywood's favorite May/December romance on its last calendar page? After a six-year marriage made in tabloid heaven, rumors abound that Demi Moore is showing wandering-eyed Ashton Kutcher the door. According to The Star, the couple, who have kept separate …

If you answered, "Heading downtown to the San Diego Film Festival to see Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut as he takes on Shakespeare's blood-soaked bloodfest Coriolanus," then congratulations - you are correct! Volde-who?

Working with Mr. Marks must be rubbing off on me — I was more taken with the gutbucket charm of Tucker and Dale vs. Evil than with the Gallic sweetness of My Afternoons with Margueritte. Which is not to say …

In honor of the release of Dolphin Tale (three stars from David Elliott!), the Semper Fi Fund is sponsoring a drawing to send one U.S. military family on an all-expense paid trip to the Clearwater Aquarium in Clearwater, FL for …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Y2uXjsKjs So many stars! How exciting for them all to be together like this! [Full disclosure: some of these images are from other versions of the trailer.]

The classic movie component will probably amount to little more than the cinematic equivalent of background music, but who cares when you can dine with the ghosts of movies past in the historic confines of San Diego's premier steakhouse? What's …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwBbMXYDsXw Many years ago, my older brother Mark and I were hanging out at home, bored and restive, when one of us hit upon the idea of taping a mock radio show - "mock" both in the sense that it …

If it's true that Hollywood should only remake bad movies, there aren't too many musicals that reach the level of tedium that Footloose, or as I like to call it, Footstool does. I'm sure that I'll eventually succumb, if for …

Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko in Manon. These days, going to the opera is as easy as going to the movies. How come? Give credit to New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the country’s largest and most prestigious opera company, for bringing works …

Still no word as to whether Joseph Gordon-Levitt will get to play Robin in the new Batman movie, but hey, at least we have the exciting revelation of Catwoman's costume to tide us over. What's that, you say? You don't …

My hunt for "logoriginality" has taken me through over half my video collection. This is it. The well has run dry. Studios generally do not like having their trademarks tampered with. I visited well over a thousand openings and though …

File under: the dangers of filming in public.

A young man finds his baby photo plastered across a missing persons website. A solid foundation for a thriller wasted on still another attempt to renew interest in director John Singleton’s faded reputation, this time via a Taylor Lautner vehicle. …

Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman has accused President Obama of helping to further drive a shiv between the races. When asked by CNN talk show host Piers Morgan, "Has Obama helped the process of eradicating racism, or has it in a …

The good news is, there's a free screening of Toy Story 3 at Liberty Station tonight. The bad new is, summer's over and this will be our last outdoor event of the season. In case you missed the biggest grossing …

Have you completed a prize-worthy movie that would make a snug fit in a Latino film festival? If so, one of the 155 films screened at this year's fest could be yours! The Media Arts Center of San Diego has …

Sunglass-off! Dear Killer Elite director Gary McKendry, You just don't get it, do you? I'm sure you'll forgive the cliche, seeing as how it actually appears in your film. Along with "You can't run away from who you are," "Killing …

First sign of trouble: the poster for Restless -- which features an adorable shot of our lovers flat on their backs surrounded by a chalk-outline -- has adorned the outside of Reading Cinemas Clairemont Town Square since Christmas, but queries …

Did somebody slip Reader critic David Elliott a dopamine cocktail? The man is in a good mood: four stars for Moneyball, another four for Mysteries of Lisbon, and even two for Sarah Jessica Parker and I Don't Know How She …

What happens when a generation's ultimate anti-authoritarians, punk rockers, become society’s ultimate authorities: dads? The Other F Word tackles this question. With a large chorus of punk rock’s leading men, including Blink 182's Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, …

Okay, so the news that Nicholas Sparks has gone and sold The Watchers, yet another retelling of the, um, classic "angel falls in love with a human" story, has reminded me of one of my favorite lessons from the Nicolas …

Years ago, a pair of side-by-side billboards sat overlooking Lankershim Blvd. where it dead-ends at Cahuenga. The one on the left was an advertisement for Schindler's List, the other ballyhoo for Universal Studios Theme Park. A neck-snapping, traffic-stopping double-take worthy …

[File under: No, not really.] In what some are calling "the boldest post-release edit since George Lucas inserted Vader's "No!" into Episode VI," Hangover 2 director Todd Phillips today announced that he would digitally scrub Mike Tyson from the film, …

The song of Hope has ended. While there is a strong connection, I'd be hard-pressed to explain my fascination -- make that fetishistic obsession -- with Bob and Dolores Hope. In such films as The Lemon Drop Kid, The Road …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XULIO67YIRA So the trailer for Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar is out. Eastwood is an amazing director in his own right, so maybe it's just the DiCaprio in our eyes, but doesn't this remind you just a little bit of Scorsese's …

Much has been made about the red-carpet meeting at the Emmys between noted television director Martin Scorsese and Glee actress Heather Morris. "Can you imagine what they chatted about?" asks AOL, breathlessly. Well, yes, actually. Martin Scorsese channeling Don Rickles …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE Okay, pause the snark for minute, and just bask in the loveliness of that trailer. They had faces then, indeed. There, wasn't that nice? Now, because you are a jaded modern soul, and so cannot receive beauty without even …

Since last week's logo quiz met with such little opposition, why not throw another set of even more brain-ratting studio emblems your way? The rules remain the same: all of these are one-shot logos associated with a single production. #2 …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMiCLWK20Ww You might not know it to look at us, but we here at The Big Screen are under strict orders never to be needlessly, pointlessly snarky and/or mean. This post, admittedly, will come close to the line. But sometimes, …

Something is making the wrong people burst into flame prior to the Empress’ inauguration, and Detective Dee is summoned to crack the case. Like a good modern detective, he rejects supernatural explanations for the deaths, instead focusing on the thrillingly …

Writer, director Rod Lurie basically traces Sam Peckinpah’s misogynistic tale of revenge as macho-baptismal. The location shifts from England to Louisiana, but don’t expect this to do much for tourism. Instead of a mousy architect (Dustin Hoffman) there’s a toothy- …

The funniest man in America — and, hands down, the sharpest, most visually adept comic auteur this side of Joe Dante — made me squirm. It's a shade of Albert Brooks we've never seen. The trademark Harpo Marx locks have …

Last month, People Magazine broke the story that former French heartthrob Gérard Depardieu urinated while aboard a plane waiting to take off. Apparently, the flight attendant said "No, no" to his request to "Oui-oui." Passengers aboard the Air France flight …

[File under: No, Not Really] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vzjQrHaouo First came director Ron Howard's refusal to edit out a scene from The Dilemma in which Vince Vaughn said that the electric car was "gay." Gay rights groups complained about the reference, and Universal …

Drive star Ryan Gosling. I'm still processing Drive's extraordinarily bold use of whatever this font is (can we just call it "Eighties"?) to advertise a film that isn't about romance between misunderstood teenagers with big hair. Reader critic David Elliott, …

Okay, this guy has no idea what happened, but as for me, all I know is that if you go to the optometrist and she has this on her wall... ...and this is the last thing you see before she …

Mr. Marks may have stumped the chumps with his Movie Logo Quiz (seriously, go give it a try), but his comment about films working to incorporate the logo got us remembering that great opening fade at the start of Raiders …

We drive past it on the I-8 every day, but who knew the Scottish Rite Event Hall had a 500-seat screening facility? Obviously, Mueller College did. The group is sponsoring this Friday night's San Diego premiere of Wake Up, a …

These studio logos are all one-shots associated with a single movie. It's up to you to match the logo with the picture it opened. I could have made it multiple choice, but where's the challenge in that? Post your answers …

A long time ago, I wrote a profile on New Yorker writer/crime novelist/screenwriter/Del Mar resident William Murray. It included this tidbit. When we talk, he answers my question about what characterizes his best writing with a story: “A great friend …

With no phone booths left to cram themselves into and PETA cracking down on goldfish swallowing, what's left for contemporary college kids to get their kicks? In the beginning there was planking: lie face down in a preferably famous, dangerous, …

Cliff Robertson is my hero. In 1977, an IRS statement for unreported funds brought the actor's attention to a $10,000 payment from Columbia Pictures he had never received. Closer inspection revealed that his signature was a forgery -- the handwriting …

Easy for UD Replicas to manufacture their Avengers-themed motorcycle outfit, that is. Related.

We don't remember Mamba, Goddess of Serpents, but hey, it's been a while. We do love her hair. Related.

Chris Evans, aka Captain America, decides to photobomb a DC cosplay shoot at Comic-Con. Related.

Word has just come in that the accompanying app for the Sarah Jessica Parker Career Mom flick I Don't Know How She Does It will allow fans to "browse, select and purchase discounted outfits inspired by characters played by Sarah …

From Adam Sandler (he co-wrote) and the dicks at Happy Madison Productions comes a comedy for compulsive masturbators who suffer from microphallus. Bucky (Nick Swarsdon), a clueless virginal dweeb whose overbite extends farther than his manhood, can’t even manage to …

The Mixed Martial Arts drama Warrior opens today, and a lot of the critics seem to agree with our own John Rubio’s impression: “What makes Warrior interesting is that all that machismo is used to set up a theme: forgiveness.” …

Aw, lookit us, all growed up. Fishbowl LA's treatment of ArcLight's arrival in San Diego is, shall we say, not the same as Mr. Marks'. To wit: Fishbowl thinks it's nice that ArcLight is arriving because "it’s basically a cinematic …

At least Mel Gibson had booze as part of his defense. Let's recap. At this year's Cannes Film Festival, Reichsführer Lars Von Trier stunned a packed press conference with the following: “For a long time I thought I was a …

Arclight Cinemas has announced plans to open a 14-screen multiplex, their first outside of L.A., at the Westfield UTC Shopping Mall near La Jolla in late 2012. This will be the fifth outlet for the Pacific Theatre-owned chain that was …

Well, if you haven't ever seen Casablanca, I guess you're going to that. Right? You remember Casablanca, don't you? It's the film that Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan watch on TV while talking to each other on the phone in …

This week, John Rubio takes on Warrior, and finds some heart under all that muscle. But he doesn't have much fun at A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy, and is forced to bust out the awesome term "glowering atmosphere" on Brighton Rock. …

When we get right down to it, we have to admit that Eddie Murphy will probably not be teamed with Mel Gibson and so go on to make the most memorable Oscar night ever. But we can dream. Here, the …

A reader from Studio City, California writes: "Scott, if you ever interview (Eddie Murphy), please ask him how Brett Ratner's dick tastes." Quite frankly, Matt Lickona's plea for Eddie to indulge his leather (or is it latex?) fantasy shocked me. …

Well, it's official: Eddie Murphy is hosting the Oscars. You remember Eddie Murphy. He's the star of Daddy Day Care, Norbit, The Haunted Mansion, the Dr. Dolittle remake, the Nutty Professor remake, Vampire in Brooklyn, Imagine That, and Meet Dave. …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phlX5CE72d8 The high concept: Boogie Nights was a surprisingly heartfelt drama set in the world of '70s porn, starring a young man with an enormous member. But times have changed, man. Nobody believes all that stuff about sexual excess taking …

The catch-phrase for this year’s Not So Extra Special Special was “Make a Muscle for MDA!” This after the organization decided to hamstring celebrity strongman Jerry Lewis. You can take the man out of Chicago, but you can’t take the …

So they’re remaking the Crow. =sigh= What, terrible sequels with the likes of David “Bones” Borneanaz, Iggy “Grampa” Pop, and Tara “Tipsy” Reid aren’t enough torture inflicted upon the cursed soul of the late Eric Draven? Is this really what …

I have no one to blame but myself. It was hot, my throat was scratchy, and takeout for dinner made more sense than turning on the oven. The burger didn’t survive the walk home and a phone call left the …

Well, that's the rumor. Personally, I'm a little surprised that Hollywood is ready to bestow such an honor on a man with such a...colorful past. No, I'm not talking about the whole "just helping out a tranny hooker" incident. I'm …

Honorable mention to A Dangerous Method, which seems to be attempting the rare triple: And while we're on the subject, pleasepleaseplease don't forget this piece of insanity: "It's like looking in a mirror. Only not." Oh, Hollywood. Don't ever change.

Shark Night 3D wasn't any kind of a good movie, but it was chock full of new (or newish) talent, fresh faces eager to sear themselves into your consciousness. Thing is, I kept seeing them as younger versions of faces …

Here's what the capsule will say: Hilarious: this is a film in which the bad guys plan to capitalize on the popularity of The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week by selling “the hardcore shit,” i.e., video of sharks actually eating people. …

A pair of novice car and end-of-the-world enthusiasts bone up for Armageddon by spending their days and nights in search of army surplus stores and auto graveyards that stock parts to build do-it-yourself flame-throwing devices. Other than the fact it …

File under: sympathy for the cameraman. Filming butterflies is hard, dude. Even slowed down, the action can be a little hard to follow, so here are a few stills with accompanying explanations. Our hero, barely visible as he clings to …

This week, David Elliott takes up The Debt, a movie that involves Nazis and gynecological exams while thankfully avoiding Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS. But more importantly, he pays tribute to his friend and fallen fellow film critic, Pauline Kael. …

This image is here because Mr. Harris served as an executive producer on Piranha 3D. Also because it's a fine metaphor for Hollywood. Sure you do. Everybody does. Stardust and the stuff that dreams are made of, baby. And the …

Films have previously depicted the plight of an individual in the wake of a terrorist bombing, but never a character with Down syndrome. After the real life 1994 attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires separates Anita (Alejandra Manzo) …