Entries
Oblivion: symbolism is fun!
Why, yes, Tom Cruise's character does dress in white and live in an ivory tower above the clouds. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/19/44091/ And yes, the Scavengers led by Morgan Freemen do dress in black and have what at least look like dreadlocks. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/19/44092/ …
New releases opening this week: To the Wonder, Oblivion, and more
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/19/44088/ They'll always have Paris. I liked To the Wonder. A lot. Others were less enthusiastic. C'est la vie. I do get a little miffy when people yammer on about it looking/sounding like a perfume commercial. A film has to …
Pac-Arts 3rd Annual Spring Showcase
8 days, 12 films!
Spring is in the air and that means another outstanding showcase of world cinema from Pac-Arts Movement. I've yet to watch one film Pac-Arts is screening this year and like a schmuck, am willfully submitting to Pain and Gain tonight. …
Review: Scary Movie V
After Beetlejuice's cameo in Scary Movie II provided the only legitimate laugh in the film, a pass on all future sequels seemed unavoidable. I was working the day watch out of the Clairemont Town Square. Trance, my 11:05 wake up …
Trailer Park: Man of Steel
Fight heterophobia!
You know, "fear of the different." Because if a super-dude saved my son from a bus that was sinking into the water, I know I'd be pretty angry. Because the dude was super. How dare he? Wait, what? I dunno, …
National Association of Theatre Owners President asks Hollywood to make fewer R-rated films
Guns don't kill people, R-rated movies do
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/17/43972/ In an attempt to put a Band-Aid on the gushing wounds caused by recent gun violence in America, NATO President, John Fithian, has called upon Hollywood to make fewer R-rated movies. Fithian joined MPAA chairman and CEO Christopher Dodd …
The long, long titles: Part 1
Movies with names so long, one card can't hold 'em
Fox News notwithstanding, America's generally pride themselves on brevity, particularly when it comes to opening credit sequences. Look how much text Hollywood can cram into one title card: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43822/ It's a good thing pretentious Parisian gasbag Johnny Godard's Weekend wasn't …
May Day Workers Film Festival April 26 - 28 & May 1
The May Day Workers Film Festival is a grass roots organization made up of local San Diego workers and students volunteering their time to "celebrate labor and people’s struggles for May Day." This is the organization's first festival and they …
Review: The Company You Keep
It's a battle of the tousled headdresses when Redford's thatched weave and Shia LaBeouf's combed-with-a-washcloth curls go head to head. Arrogant rookie reporter Ben Sheperd (LaBeouf) may use his palm as a notepad, but damn if he isn't going to …
FOLLOW US, DAMMIT!
Just a gentle reminder that Matthew and I are quite the social media butterflies. Having maxed out my 5,000 followers (arf!) on Facebook, I recently went in and "de-friended" a hundred or so dead celebs to make room for real …
Zaid Abu Hamdan brings his shorts to MoPA
Award-winning Jordanian director comes to Balboa Park as part of Arab Film Festival
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/15/43728/ Jordanian director Zaid Abu Hamdan will be in town on Saturday, May 4 to screen three of his award-winning and Oscar-qualified short films at the Museum of Photographic Arts. In 2006, Hamdan's served as the first assistant director, writer …
The diarrhea of Justin Bieber
Visit to the Anne Frank House gives pause for self-reflection
It's Bieber's world. We just live in it. Teen pop heartthrob Justin Bieber and his posse took time away from their busy world tour to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam yesterday. "Truly inspiring to be able to come …
Review: Paris-Manhattan
Remember this indescribably perfect pair of street strangers that Woody Allen solicits advice from in Annie Hall: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/12/43622/ She's very shallow and empty and has no ideas or anything interesting to say and he's exactly the same way. Give these …
Dig a hole: Jonathan Winters
God must have been in dire need of a good laugh. Someone please inform Jerry, Albert, Howard, and Joan they are free to move one rung up the ladder of living comic legends. Jonathan Winters died yesterday. He was 87. …
Free movies of the week: The Jackie Robinson Story
What differentiates The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) from 42, the $40 million biopic -- based on the life of the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers player who broke baseball's color barrier -- opening today at a theatre near you? The most obvious …
New releases opening this week: 42, Trance, Room 237, and more
When you've got a story like Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, maybe the best move is to put the story out there and get out of the way. And that's what 42 does - well, …
Dig a hole: Mickey Rose
Woody Allen's former writing partner was 77
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/11/43568/ The man responsible for many of the howls contained in three of Woody Allen's earliest and funniest movies is dead. Mickey Rose, co-author of What's Up, Tiger Lily?, Take the Money and Run, and Bananas died of cancer Sunday …
Goodfellas Scorsese and Liotta go back to school in Campus Life
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/11/43562/ I can understand Ray Liotta needing the work, but what is Marty doing acting in a low budget sci-fi picture with Jesse McCartney? Is his youngest daughter, Francesca Scorsese, that big a fan of Dream Street that she called …
Play it again: the movie music of Woody Allen
I've always looked upon Woody Allen as my celluloid rabbi. In addition to imparting Jewish wisdom (and a heritage of laughter) Woody's interest in American jazz and popular songs offered up a refresher course in swing music. Long before Woody's …
Lickona finally in on the joke
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/09/43503/ How many times in this space have I made veiled, and not-so veiled references to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis' legendary blooper reel captured while the duo was recording promos for their latest and funniest picture for Paramount, The …