This is the sixteenth year I’ve written an annual Top 10 list, which means I’ve been compiling them for over half my life. While the exercise in some way feels more arbitrary than ever, in that I’m now able to look back on those initial lists from more than a decade ago and recognize how …
As always, the TCM Classic Film Festival did not disappoint on any level this year, be it the quality of the prints (whether archival celluloid or shiny new digital restorations), the quality and diversity of the guests (famous, knowledgeable, and often both rolled into one), the operation of the festival (seldom did a presentation start …
2013 wasn’t a bad year for movies, but it felt like it at times due to the dearth of big surprises. Of my top 10 films, nine were made by established auteurs, eight of whom produce work I routinely praise. Where was the earth-shattering debut from an exciting new voice, or the big blockbuster that …
This week on the Critic Speak Podcast, James and I are joined by screenwriter Jeremy Milks to review new theatrical releases “Fast & Furious 6” and “The Hangover Part III,” plus a couple of Steven Soderbergh films now available for home viewing, “Behind the Candelabra” (on HBO) and “Side Effects” (on Blu-Ray, DVD, and VOD). …
Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office results. It’s finally February, meaning there are now non-Oscar-bait releases worth getting excited about. Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller “Side Effects” is one such release. But that doesn’t mean the slate is filled with winners, as the …
With $54.1 million in box office receipts, Seth MacFarlane’s R-rated teddy bear comedy, “Ted,” won the weekend by a wide margin. Clearly, far more than MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” following showed up, as the movie coasted to the biggest opening for an R-rated comedy ever. If “Ted” manages to have the legs of past summer comedies …
“Magic Mike” is certain to disappoint a lot of people. Anyone familiar with Steven Soderbergh knew that his latest work certainly couldn’t be the sexy, slick male stripper fantasy that Warner Bros’ marketing campaign has made it out to be. Those expecting a semi-erotic, amusing romp likely won’t leave satisfied by the 10 minutes or …
Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office grosses. After a series of botched predictions, I truly recovered last weekend, coming within 10 percent of the actuals for openers “Brave” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” Let’s hope I can repeat that success this weekend. …
New selections available for home viewing this week: Haywire is Steven Soderbergh’s star-studded experiment in genre filmmaking, a modest action film that struggles with its own low aim. It’s a curious exercise seeing a prolific auteur approach a task that he likely thinks is beneath him, resulting in a work that’s appealing and exciting at …
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