Entries
Trailer Park: Compulsion
THIS SUMMER http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/10/48903/ BOOGIE NIGHTS' ROLLER GIRL AND http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/10/48904/ THE MATRIX'S TRINITY STAR IN http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/10/48905/ SOFTCORE LESBIAN PAY-CABLE THRILLER WITH http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/10/48907/ WHO IS GLAD FOR THE WORK AND http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/10/48908/ WHO STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HE ACTUALLY HAS TO SAY, "PEOPLE DON'T …
Trailer Park: Kristens go home again
Hey, it's the trailer for The Lifeguard, in which Kristen Bell comes home from the big city at 30 (sorry, 29!) to live with her parents and figure out her life, and takes up with a much younger man. Hey, …
Clean the beach, see the movie, get Rimmed
"Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim" holds cleanup in Mission Beach
Attention: there are rules for posting that come with this blog. The following edict arrived in the mail: "Please note, the official title is: WARNER BROS. PICTURES & LEGENDARY PICTURES PACIFIC RIM." You done ejaculated a marquee-busting mouthful! I'm all …
4th row center: The Corvette Summer rain check
It was the only time in my life where I was given a rain check at the movies. The Lawrencewood Theatre was an efficacious, sensibly designed cement box located at the end of the parking lot at the Lawrencewood Shopping …
James Cameron continues the madness!
Two of these photos contain actual quotes. Two do not. Which is which? First up, Spielberg and Lucas, founders of the modern blockbuster: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/08/48770/ Next, James Cameron, who ushered in the current wave of 3D filmmaking with Avatar: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/08/48771/ On …
Shart: the Movie
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/08/48767/ Better than Crackle's Shart Week. It wiped up at the box office. I'll pick up review doody on this one, Matthew. Let's hope it's in 3D and Smell-O-Rama. Thanks to fellow crepitation connoisseur, Frank Howard, for drifting this my …
The Carpeteria: A brief pictorial tribute to Joe Pesci's 'hair'
Good news! While paying a visit to the Walter Parks Thatcher Memorial Storage Facility, I unearthed my scanner and a box containing a few hundred of the thousands of original 8 x 10 stills in the vault. Please don't ask …
Still screaming over streaming
This week's column calling for a boycott of streaming screeners brought at least one positive response, but before getting to that, I must thank my buddy John Dacapias for reminding me of the most heinous request of them all. There …
Gam3rCon: Space Invaders Landing in San Diego
Bay Area filmmaker documents collectors from the golden-era of arcade games.
Pac-Man. Donkey Kong. Space Invaders. Galaga. Many of us grew up on these names, but what happened to all of the old arcade games from the early ‘80s after they were retired from the Wonderlands and Chuck-E-Cheese’s of America? To …
Bruck you, Masked Man! 4 cures for the common Lone Ranger
Were Matthew not brave enough to take two-and-a-half hours away from his lovely, remarkable family (and Wonder Dog, Oreo), The Lone Ranger would never have been reviewed in these pages. Two thoughts crossed my mind during the screening of the …
BOYCOTT STREAMING SCREENERS!
When did it become a critic's responsibility to provide the screening venue? It's bad enough that 30% of the films I cover are shipped to me on a shiny disc to be viewed in my living room. I refuse to …
The Anxiety of Gaming Influence: are bloated blockbuster endings just a version of the Final Boss?
Punching, punching, punching...still punching.
My dad loves Superman. He did not love Man of Steel. And boy howdy, was he bored during the final battle. Perhaps because he is a psychologist, he told me, "I would like to do a study on moviegoer's brains …
Bond bonding
or, Will Military Folks Enjoy a Ludicrous Military Film, Even if it's Free?
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/03/48550/ So White House Down is performing below expectations. And now comes this: CULVER CITY, Calif., July 2, 2013 – On Independence Day, to thank America’s troops for their sacrifice and service, active military personnel and veterans will be admitted …
4th row center: King Kong
By the time I was old enough to take the elevated train to Chicago's Loop, The Clark Theatre had all but died. Under the leadership of legendary Chicago movie theatre impresario, Bruce Trinz, the Clark was the forerunner of what …
Double features from hell: What Ever Happened to the Music Man?
Oh, we got trouble!
"But you are, Harold. You are in River City!" http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/01/48390/
New comedy club inside Grauman's Chinese is no laughing matter
The once-mighty Grauman's Chinese Theatre has fallen on hard times. The big Chinese was closed for renovation when I paid a visit last week. They're installing an IMAX screen -- the first ever on Hollywood Boulevard -- in hope of …
Why Citizen Kane flopped in Canada
Folks in Victoria walked out after the short. Canuck-nyuck-nyuck! http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/01/48375/ What? It's Victoria, Texas? Never mind. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jul/01/48376/
The best corn in San Diego isn't popped in a movie theatre
George's was a small candy store located next to Chicago's Nortown Theatre. In addition to the homemade fudge, taffy apples, and wrapped candy bars that lined the shelves, George had a giant popcorn-popper strategically placed in the front window. It …
Check out the Blu-ray combo pack rack at Fry's Electronics
Three Scorseses for the price of one!
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jun/28/48281/ One can still expect to pay top dollar for some of the more obscure DVD releases from Criterion and Olive Films, but It was just a matter of time before the prices of Blu-rays began dropping. Last week while …
Movies opening this week: The Heat, White House Down, and more
I turned 40 yesterday. These things happen. But as a result, this new release roundup is going to be somewhat terse. I've only got a few minutes before I head over to the LA County Museum of Art's Kubrick exhibit …