movie Glossary
Cleopatra in the Commissary Phenomenon
In any movie about the movies, in any scene shot on a studio back lot, countless extras walk around in outrageous period costumes that haven't been used in years, and recognizable historical figures like Cleopatra, Lincoln and Napoleon are often seen lined up at the catering line for lunch. (See the two Redcoats in "Get Shorty.") GREG BROWN, Chicago.
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Broken Embraces (R)
Pedro Almodovar loves the movies with lust and abandon and the skill of an experienced lover. "Broken Embraces" is a voluptuary of a film, drunk on primary colors, caressing Penelope Cruz, using the devices of a Hitchcock to distract us with surfaces while the sinister uncoils beneath. As it ravished me, I longed for a freeze frame to allow me to savor a shot.
Q. I want to correct part of your "2012" review. You write, "Also on board are the humans chosen to survive, including all the characters who have not already been crushed, drowned or fallen into great crevices opening up in the earth.
25th Hour (R) (2002)
Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully. -- Dr. Johnson Tomorrow morning, Monty Brogan is turning himself in to begin a prison term. His two best friends lean on a railing , look out over the river, and agree "it's over." They will never see Monty again. He may be alive in eight years, but he won't be the Monty they've known since they were kids. Monty Broken also knows this. So do his girlfriend and his fat her. It will all end after tonight.
LOS ANGELES (AP)— Roy E. Disney, the son and nephew of The Walt Disney Co. founders who twice led shareholder revolts that shook up the family business, died Wednesday. He was 79.
The Walt Disney Co. announced that Disney died in Newport Beach, Calif., after a bout with stomach cancer.
I went to see Ricky Jay's new show, "Rogue's Gallery," at the Royal George. I've seen him more than once before, so I was prepared for an astonishing show. He's one of the great card manipulators of all time, and he outdid himself.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” added to its award-season momentum, winning best film from the New York Film Critics Circle. The group, which announced its selections Monday, also awarded best director to Kathryn Bigelow of “The Hurt Locker.” Those choices mirrored the selections of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, which were announced Sunday.
These are your Oscar front-runners after Sunday's voting by three critics' groups: "The Hurt Locker." Jeff Bridges. Meryl Streep. Mo'Nique. Chrisophe Waltz. Kathryn Bigelow. Close behind: "Up in the Air," Jeremy Renner, Yolande Moreau, Colin Firth, Carey Mulligan.
Shortly after getting gut-shot one of the characters in James Cameron's "Avatar" wisecracks: "This could ruin my whole day." I know the feeling. The line, like so many others, lands with a hollow thud. To my eyes (and ears), "Avatar" is the first Cameron feature that's a near-total failure. Obviously, I'm not talking about ticket sales, since the movie just opened today, or the early reviews, most of which were ecstatic. I emphasize "my eyes" because: 1) the golden-saucer eyes of the lovely, elongated blue protagonists, the Na'vi, are their most prominent features; 2) the movie is explicitly about the act of seeing ("I see you" is one of its catch phrases, and the title of the Celine Dion-ish end-credits theme song that goes on and on); 3) the 3D process -- at least for me, with my particular prescription lenses behind those Polarized glasses -- is continually distracting. Moments Out of Time 2009Impressions Based on the Hype for the Movie Precious Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire Eastwood vs. Pixar: Get off my virtual lawn Go, Manohla, go! Surprises? MSN Contribs' Top 10 Movies of 2009 Quentin Tarantino's Top 8 for 2009 close-up: a critical essay / dream sequence (rescued, restored) Bordwell & Thompson: Crix of the '00s! The Dark Knight is Confused 2009: Best of movie years... or not so much? A Serious Man: Kafka in Minnesota
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The thing about James Cameron is, he can get his mind around a project the size of "Avatar" and keep his cool. If it requires the development of untested technology, he takes the time to work on it. If he wants i create aliens human enough to be sexy and yet keep them out of the Uncanny Valley, he test-drives them. If it costs $250 million, as reported, or $350 million, as rumored, you reflect: That's a lot of money, but after seeing the movie I guess I saw most of it up there on the screen.
The problem with gifts is that you almost always give something you want for yourself. There are obvious exceptions, such as a woman giving a man a tie, but even then he is almost certain to receive the tie she thinks he should be wearing. Most of the time the rule applies, as I'm reminded every time I use Chaz's iPod, iPhone and MacBook Pro.
I write on a regular basis and while I do work as a film critic for Egypt's major film magazine 'C', I prefer writing about the history of motion pictures, film theory, and film analysis. My goal is to have most of my work published for the public to recognize. I have always felt that film is a medium that is often misunderstood as simply a form of entertainment (much like video games) and while it is that, some films exceed that notion and should be regarded as masterpieces of art regardless of the medium.
With this video essay by Ali Arikan of Istanbul, Turkey, I launch my site's new feature, Foreign Correspondents. Film commentators from all over the world will contribute their video reviews, observations, musings, philosophies and pronouncements. Ali has been an online friend of mine for untold years, and is a favorite poster on my blog.
thumbs
Linked here are reviews in recent months for which I wrote either 4 star or 3.5 star reviews. What does Two Thumbs Up mean in this context? It signifies that I believe these films are worth going out of your way to see, or that you might rent them, add them to your Netflix, Blockbuster or TiVo queues, or if they are telecast record them.
Gathered here in one convenient place are my recent reviews that awarded films Zero Stars, One-half Star, One Star, and One-and-a-half Stars. These are, generally speaking to be avoided. Sometimes I hear from readers who confess they are in the mood to watch a really bad movie on some form of video. If you are sincere, be sure to know what you're getting: A really bad movie.
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