Entries
Dig a hole: Deanna Durbin
Allow me not to be the first to say, "Was Deanna Durbin still alive?" She was a huge star in her day, Universal's answer to Shirley Temple. In 1946 Deanna Durbin was the second highest paid woman in America. Bette …
Trailer Park: Pacific Rim
Okay, so everyone's excited for this, because deep down inside, everyone is still an eight-year-old boy. Except, maybe, you know, the girls. But they'll go with their boyfriends, just like they used to go to the arcade with their boyfriends …
Review: Kon-Tiki
My father always envisioned himself dying behind a ship's wheel rather than seated in a Sears recliner. Perhaps that's why a copy of Thor Heyerdal's Kon-Tiki took up a prime spot of real estate on my parent's coffee table for …
Interview: Pierce Kavanagh, San Diego Surf Film Festival co-founder
Festival #2 runs May 8 - 12
I don't know my groms from my salties or a hoot from a shaka. What I'm certain of is the San Diego Surf Film Festival is returning to Bird’s Surf Shed, 1091 W Morena Blvd., for its second year. The …
Tribecka
DeNiro's festival recognizes America's premier lunatic
As if "The Big Wedding" were not bad enough, this is the second time this week Robert DeNiro has become an embarrassment. Fascist, hate-mongering, fired by two networks...well, CNN and Fox News, Glenn Beck, was honored at the fourth annual …
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile coming this week to an Albertsons near you
One bun closes, another opens. Last week ended with talk of Costco fans now having to wash down their weenies with Pepsi instead of Coke. Today, it's raining mustard with news that the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is back for a …
Outrage at Costco food court: Pepsi replaces Coke
First Hebrews out, Kirkland in, and now this!
Who cares if it has nothing to do with movies? This is vital news the entire San Diego community needs to hear! Coca-Cola is out and Pepsi is in at Costco food courts! No, I am not kidding! It began …
Relief for Gaslamp moviegoers' parking woes
A buck-an-hour at Park It on Market!
It was my first trip to Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15 since the evil monkeys at Westfield's Horton Plaza garage rescinded their offer of three hours free parking. Street spaces were plentiful at 10am on a Friday morning, but they came …
New releases opening this week: Graceland, Mud, Upstream Color and more
Supposedly, the summer blockbuster season kicked off today with Michael Bay's pastel musclebound nightmare Pain & Gain. But Scott hated it (not that critical loathing has ever had much effect on Bay's films). Blockbusters start in May, not before. More …
Review: 10 reasons why The Big Wedding was an offer DeNiro couldn't refuse
10.) It offered the chance to fulfill DeNiro's lifelong dream of being vomited on in a Katherine Heigl romcom. 9.) The 'c' word was in the script. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/25/44424/ 8.) Playing a character named "Don" and starring alongside Diane Keaton, director …
DVD Rentals: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/25/44406/ The exact quote escapes me, but James Coburn once said something along the lines of, "When did pictures with action become action pictures?" With a tsunami of action tent-poles set to withstand this summer's flood of competition, let's spend …
DVD Rentals: Flying Leathernecks
World War II had come to an end and the Korean war was just ramping up, but the main motivation behind this propaganda piece was to satisfy R.K.O. studio owner Howard Hughes flying fascination. In 1949, Hughes began production on …
Review: La Pirogue
For once a film on the subject of smuggling refugees that is not based on a true story. My initial fear of harrowing action scenes cushioned by alternating sermons quickly vanished. What little admonishment there is can be found in …
Dig a hole: Allan Arbus
He had the boogie on his fingers and the hubba-hubba in his soul!
It's one thing to overlook the fact that Allan Arbus was the only actor ever to immortalize screwball comedy director Gregory LaCava on film (W.C. Fields and Me). Even The New York Times failed to mention the actor's star-making turn …
Ashley Judd was not the first actor to die in a trailer!
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/22/44189/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-SShi58cI
The long, long titles: Part 2
Including a special tribute to "Rocky(s)!"
Part 2 in my investigative series of movies with names so long, one title card can't hold 'em. You'll find Part 1 here. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43830/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43831/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43832/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43833/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43834/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43835/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43836/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43838/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43839/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43840/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43841/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43842/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43843/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43844/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43845/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43846/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43847/ …
Digital Gym offers workshops on acting, post-production, and how to make a short film
In addition to being San Diego's latest destination for art and independent films, the Media Arts Center San Diego's Digital Gym also offers workshops on film production. Whether you've just removed your first lens cap or have several video projects …
I tried to watch Layer Cake and this is what happened
You, dear readers, are intelligent media consumers and also connoisseurs of the web. So you've all seen The Oatmeal's excellent illustrated story, I tried to watch Game of Thrones and this is what happened. Right? Right. My own story is …
Colonel Sanders, call your agent
I'm not gonna link to the trailer for R.I.P.D., which stands for Rest In Peace Department, because that's hilarious and needs no further publicity to become the feel good hit of the year. I am, however, going to take note …
Review: Future Weather
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/19/44110/ A chain-smoking, beer-sloshing grandmother (Amy Madigan) is forced to attend to her environmentally attuned granddaughter (Perla Haney-Jardine) after the 13-year-old is abandoned by her selfish mother (Marin Ireland). Mom has it inside her meth-baked head that she's destined to …