Danny Baldwin

Danny Baldwin has been writing about film on the Internet for over a decade, initially for BucketReviews and now for Critic Speak. He holds a Master's degree in Critical Studies from the University of Southern California and in past years served as a member of both the Online Film Critics Society and the San Diego Film Critics Society. Danny's favorite films include “The 400 Blows,” “Imitation of Life" (1959), “My Neighbor Totoro” and “The Silence of the Lambs.” He lives in Los Angeles.

Ethan Hawke: “Before Sunset” follow-up will shoot this summer

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Last year, Ethan Hawke spilled the beans that he, director Richard Linklater, and actress Julie Delpy were considering making their masterful “Before Sunrise”/”Before Sunset” franchise into a trilogy. Today, nestled midway into an IndieWire interview covering a range of other topics, Hawke unveiled that they were definitely going to make the movie and the plan is […]

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Review: “Bernie”

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In today’s filmgoing climate, audiences are usually forced to choose between challenging works and brain-dead ones, because few productions exist in between the two extremes. This dichotomy is a shame, for it all too frequently results in Joe Schmoe knowingly watching mediocre Hollywood efforts, simply because the searing independent alternatives have a tendency to seem

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Showtime picks up “Masters of Sex,” “Ray Donovan” for 2013 slate

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Over the past decade, Showtime has really made made a name for its original programming, what with “Dexter,” “Homeland,” “Weeds,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “The Big C” all becoming big hits (by premium cable standards, that is). The network may not be able to compete with HBO just yet in the ratings, but it’s clearly on

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Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis wants to adapt “Fifty Shades of Grey;” casts Lindsay Lohan in current project

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Many of novelist Bret Easton Ellis’ works have been adapted into feature films, but up until now, he hasn’t been heavily involved in movie-making himself. Ellis worked to develop certain projects, like “American Psycho,” and co-wrote the screenplay for the critical and box office failure “The Informers,” based on his book, but he otherwise remained

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Complete List of Tony Winners

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The 66th Annual Tony Awards were held tonight in New York, and the big winner was “Once” (pictured above), the musical based on the critically-acclaimed 2007 John Crowley film about Irish musicians falling in love. I didn’t see any point in watching the CBS telecast myself, because as a Southern Californian, I’ve barely even heard

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Weekend Box Office: “Madagascar” franchise can still move-it move-it

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As nearly every prognosticator predicted, “Madagascar 3” went on to take the weekend away from Friday’s #1, “Prometheus,” by a wide margin. Chalk it up to the kid-friendly Saturday and Sunday matinees, but both films dropped more than expected on Saturday and Sunday. “Prometheus” was bound to be front-loaded given that hoards of fanboys showed

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Friday Box Office: “Prometheus,” “Madagascar” neck and neck

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Just as I predicted in this week’s Box Office Beat, Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” both opened well yesterday, separated by a margin of less than a million dollars. “Prometheus” took the day, but it’s clear now that “Madagascar” should take the weekend, being that kid-oriented films perform best

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Review: “In the Family”

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“In the Family,” the debut feature of writer/director/actor Patrick Wang, pulls off the elegant task of being a film that is political, but not politically charged. This small, but vital distinction–the difference between a work that enlightens and a work that lectures–is the staple of the movie’s success. Too many filmmakers, especially first-timers, are so

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