Archive for May, 2009
‘Up’ brims with wild delights
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
Carl Fredericksen is 78. He’s also one of the main characters of a new animated movie from Disney via Pixar. Building an animated movie around an elderly man is amazing enough, but the unusual qualifies of “Up” don’t stop with Carl’s age. The movie also deals with death [...]
Prequels and Laura Croft: A combination worth seeing?
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
Ah the joy of prequels. Yes there is nothing quite like the ability of Hollywood to go back in time, on a movie set, and to generally screw up the history and persona of any character or storyline that can make an extra buck. As you might [...]
Mike Tyson, the real ‘Raging Bull’
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
In “Tyson,” director James Toback takes us inside the mind of the former heavyweight champ. It’s not a pleasant place to be.
I saw the movie before Tyson lost his 4-year-old daughter to an accident involving a treadmill. I don’t know how I would have reacted to the movie [...]
Real people, real issues in ‘Summer Hours’
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
I love the French movie “Summer Hours,” so if you see it and don’t share my enthusiasm, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. In my view, director Olivier Assayas has made an impeccably acted study of family deterioration and the disconnect between generations. Finally, a story that [...]
Movie Preview: Land of the Lost
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
I was thinking about the upcoming movie Land of the Lost earlier today. I had been flipping channels and saw that Sci-Fi had a marathon of the episodes on. I watched a few, reminding me of my youth some time ago.
Now the thing is that the children’s [...]
The story behind “A Chorus Line”
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
THIS WEEK’S ART-HOUSE PICK
You might have a difficult time finding a more enjoyable movie this weekend than “Every Little Step,” a documentary about the casting of the 2006 Broadway revival of “A Chorus Line.”
Directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo take us through the casting process and [...]
The buzz on Tarantino’s ‘Basterds’
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
Few films have been more eagerly anticipated than Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” which features a star turn by Brad Pitt and an intentional misspelling of its title, borrowed from a 1978 Italian WWII film by Enzo G. Castellari. Tarantino’s movie, which debuted Wednesday in competition at the Cannes [...]
‘Terminator Salvation,’ a junkyard future
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
“Terminator Salvation” isn’t a movie; it’s a junkyard, an unadulterated mess that substitutes dark imagery for imaginative vision. Directed by McG, who also brought us “Charlie’s Angels” and “We Are Marshall,” this fourth installment of a series that deserved to remain in hibernation comes up short on ideas [...]
Conclusion of my interview of independent film director Dennis Dorcth
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
This is part 5 of my in-depth interview with independent film director and writer Dennis Dortch, creator of the Sundance Film Festival Award winning film A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy (which is available on DVD).
The interview has covered the motivations for Dennis Dortch, the [...]
Another experiment from Soderbergh
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience” clocks in at 77 minutes, but can feel just as meticulous as his last opus, “Che,” which ran for more than four hours. Though completely different on the surface, “The Girlfriend Experience” and “Che” share at least one common characteristic. Both movies deal [...]
Movie Preview: Facing Ali
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
Here is a movie that I am definitely going to see. It is the movie about the Great One. The greatest that there has been. A movie about a man beloved by the world and whose influence helped shape America.
No this is not about President Obama. Not [...]
Woo-ing audiences with Red Cliff
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
Many fans of Asian cinema may be familiar with the name John Woo. To a lesser extent the mainstream probably is more familiar with his films: Face/Off, Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Mission Impossible 2, and Paycheck. As can be seen by his run of American movies, he [...]
“Angels & Demons,’ hellishly medicore
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
In my perfect world, Ron Howard and Tom Hanks would leave the Catholic Church alone. I’m not talking about the ability of either artist or director to mount effective assaults on matters of Catholic doctrine, but about aesthetic sins they’ve committed in the name of mass entertainment. In [...]
Easing Sneezing: Can Diet Help Season Allergies?
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Natural Remedies
A reader asks The Times if diet can ease hay fever symptoms.
My annual hay fever misery has begun. I’m talking antihistamnines and using eye drops which the pharmacist advised. is there anything I can eat and drink that may just help to ease my symptons.
As you will know, [...]
Soccer and the sweet smell of success
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
The new generation of Mexican filmmakers — led by a trio of Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – is getting older, but the group remains a loose band of cinema brothers who support one another and extend the courtesy to others.
This trio of important [...]
A “Solo” flight worth taking
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
I know. You — along with everyone else in the western hemisphere– want to run off to see “Star Trek” this weekend. I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I enjoyed “Star Trek” myself. (See review below.) But that super-buzzed helping of sci-fi isn’t the only movie in town, and [...]
‘Star Trek’ hurtles us back to the future
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
Ever a source of unintended irony, Hollywood once again has launched its search for new frontiers by looking backward. Case in point: “Star Trek,” the 2009 edition from director J.J. Abrams, the wunderkind who helped create the “Lost” series on TV and who also brought significant wallop to [...]
Keanu Reeves: 2 personalities, but can any act?
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
Everyone loved Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. To varying degrees he was just as good in the 2 sequels to the film. Since then, well let’s just say that Reeves is likely loving the money he makes per film far more than the critical commentary.
If you [...]
Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
The following is a taped interview with Dennis Dortch, Sundance Film Festival award winning director and writer of A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy and Michael Vass of M V Consulting, Inc. The interview was taken earlier this year and is quite in depth. Dennis [...]
Movie Preview: Dance Flick
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
It’s been a while since a Wayans family movie has been in theaters. It’s been even longer since one of their movies has been worth watching. But the latest try is a trip back to the roots of the family, parody of movies that are in themselves [...]
Movie Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
What can I say about one of the more anticipated movies of this summer season? I was disappointed.
Wolverine is a movie with several things going for it, but it just doesn’t seem to take hold of any of them. Fans of the comic books will have various [...]
Odds, ends and a bit of animated sci-fi
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Submitted by Denerstein Unleashed
IT’S GOT SOMETHING, BUT WHAT?
The most interesting movie opening on the “art” scene this week is “Gigantic,” a first film from director Matt Aselton. The movie, which begins its run Friday at the Starz FilmCenter, isn’t much good, but it shows that Aselton has a knack for catching [...]
Abigail Disney interviewed at the Tribeca Film Festival
Rating 4.00 out of 5
[?]Written by Black Entertainment USA
The last interview I had at the Tribeca Film Festival was with producer Abigail Disney. She had 2 films at this years festival - Playground and Pray The Devil Back To Hell - both documentaries.
Both of these films are powerful stories on subject that Hollywood and the [...]
Bette Gordon of Handsome Harry interviewed At Tribeca Film Festival
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]Written by ?Black Entertainment USA
Another of the great films at the Tribeca Film Festival this year was the film by Bette Gordon, Handsome Harry. This is an intriguing drama by an independent filmmaker is known for her introspection and exploration of sexuality.
I had the chance to speak with Bette, and got [...]
