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November 2008
Week of November 17th through November 20th

FILM

Latest Additions:
 
SOUL MEN

'Soul Men', a memorable and enjoyable film.


ROLE MODELS

An irresponsible frittering away of the cinematic capital amassed by Stiffler, McLovin and other beloved icons of the teen genre.


GARDENS OF THE NIGHT

A profoundly disturbing, super-realistic examination of pedophilia not to be screened on an empty stomach, nor forgotten during awards season.. 


ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO

Despite its provocative title, the film is utterly funny, charming and entertaining.


CHANGELING

Clint Eastwood's latest is a crime saga strictly for the very gullible.

PRIDE AND GLORY

Edward Norton is the standout here, turning in yet another inspired performance as a complicated soul in search of redemption.

High School Musical 3

Despite its cheesy premise, HSM3 is poised to bring its fanbase in droves to the theaters to watch their favorite characters one more time.


W.

A damning biography magnifying the worst traits of the president with the lowest approval rating in history.


The Secret Life of Bees

What makes ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ an entertaining and poignant film is the chemistry between the cast that translates on screen


The Express

The Express does an excellent job of chronicling each of the critical touchstones in the abbreviated life of a role model worthy of emulation


Quarantine

If you are looking for a film that will scare the wits out of you, even briefly, you can't wrong from seeing this one.  It's frightening, gory, and suspenseful.


Rachel Getting Married

‘Rachel Getting Married’ is a poignant and provocative drama that gives insight to hidden emotions within a family.


Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

A meandering Manhattan travelogue with a payoff worth the wait, some gross moments notwithstanding.
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist


Ballast

Mississippi Delta Serves as Setting for Monosyllabic Meditation on Gangbanging by Moped


Fireproof

This film exemplifies that God’s word can be effectively conveyed in mainstream ways, even couched as an adventure film. 


Nights in Rodanthe

Another sappy soap opera for Nicholas Sparks fans satisfied by panoramic seascapes offset intermittently by lingering interludes of dysfunctional strangers locking lips and loins.


Miracle At St. Anna

At the end of this nearly three hour movie, what you have is a noble attempt thwarted by uneven artistic choices.


Ghost Town

Highlighted by the soulful sounds of Jill Scott, the music helps steer attention
to the film that might otherwise be dismissed in its first half.


Hounddog

Highlighted by the soulful sounds of Jill Scott, the music helps steer attention
to the film that might otherwise be dismissed in its first half.


Lakeview Terrace

A house of cards only stands still if carefully placed, but with ‘Lakeview Terrace’, too many false and quick moves doomed it.


The Duchess

Fine acting, and clever visual and sentimental recreation of life in 18th century England, is bound to make a fan of even those whose typical fare does not include period films.


Burn After Reading

Burn after Reading is a refreshingly-intelligent diversion designed with the more cerebral cineaste in mind.


Diary of a Tired Black Man

Excellent Indie-Flick from Tim Alexander Finally Finds Distribution with Magnolia Pictures


THE FAMLY THAT PREYS
(SAME MOVIE DIFFERENT
REVIEW)


The Family That Preys tells a story of friendship, dreams, and betrayal that has universal appeal transcending all class and racial divides.


THE FAMLY THAT PREYS

The Family That Preys tells a story of friendship, dreams, and betrayal that has universal appeal transcending all class and racial divides.


Bangkok Dangerous

An excessively violent, sloppily-edited, unintentionally funny, overly sentimental affair which has nothing much going for it beyond a snazzy score and some stylized special effects.


Mister Foe

A brooding Jamie Bell in his most memorable outing since Billy Elliot.


VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA

IVicky Cristina Barcelona is vintage Woody Allen not to be missed


Trouble The Water

Ice Cube and the cast give a by-the-books clichéd story that most folks can sit back and enjoy.


The Long Shots

Ice Cube and the cast give a by-the-books clichéd story that most folks can sit back and enjoy.


A Girl Cut in Two (La Fillee Coupee en Deux)

An ill-fated love triangle with an alarming twist leading to a sobering message for shameless gold-diggers and suave Casanovas alike.


One Bad Cat

A compelling documentary narrated by stentorian-throated Delroy Lindo.


Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder is an intelligent and frequently funny film with some profound points to make about the shallowness of the movie industry.


I'm Through With White Girls

Alternately entertaining and enlightening, this hilariously funny flick is proof positive that it’s possible to shoot a sophisticated romantic romp on a shoe-string budget.


Swing Vote

Swing Vote is ultimately the bitterly disappointing with nothing much to offer other than some sappy sermonizing about patriotically exercising right to vote.


Sixty Six

This predictable costume drama might have a certain nostalgic appeal for soccer fans and folks familiar with Judaic culture and religious traditions.


America The Beautiful

Scathing Documentary Explores America’s Unhealthy Obsession with Beauty


Man on Wire

An exhilarating film for the ages not to be missed, either for its enlightening peek inside the elite mind of an extraordinary individual or for its ethereal tribute to the Twin Towers.


Step Brothers

Too bad this re-teaming of Ferrell and Reilly failed to generate any magic, as did their prior outing in Talladega Nights.


A Man Named Pearl Review

A touching bio-pic about a humble soul who encountered racism and responded with love, peace and goodwill towards all people


The Dark Knight Review

This film will go from just being another summer film to being unforgettable.


MEET DAVE Review

All in all, this unoriginal, derivative disaster is the worst sci-fi comedy since, well, since Eddie Murphy made The Adventures of Pluto Nash.


Days & Clouds (Giorni & Nuvole) Review

Plausibly-scripted and well-acted, the telling tale proves to be decidedly universal, given the world economy’s currently teetering on the brink of a widespread recession.


Eight Miles High (Das Wilde Leben) Review

A revealing (pardon the expression) tell-all which examines nudity not as a fashion statement, but as a tool wielded by a master manipulator to bring grown men to their knees.


Hancock Review

Smith's invincibilty at the box office may come down, for this film is a mess. Not even his charm and personality can save this train wreck.


TELL NO ONE (Ne Le Dis à Personne)

Those blessed with patience are likely to deem the denouement well worth the wait.


Very Young Girls

Anyone with a pre-teen daughter ought to be required to watch this revealing expose’


Wanted Review

Wanted' is an action oriented film that gives the audience what they want and then some.


Trumbo Review

A on overdue vindication of a true patriot and a timely reminder to continue challenging authority in the face of the Patriot Act.


Get Smart Review

For some unfathomable reason, director Peter Segal opted to overhaul a relentlessly-hilarious, over-the-top parody never intended to be taken seriously into a dramatic adventure with only intermittent comic relief.


Quid Pro Quo Review

An outsider adventure strictly for the very open-minded, presenting the numbness of paralysis, ironically, as a potential source of paroxysms of pleasure

The Love Guru Review

It’s Mike Myers job to make you laugh, and he fails miserably in what might not be the best performance of his career, but it’s certainly his worst

Brick Lane(in Film)

The movie is likely to resonate best with closet feminists inclined to question the constraints of orthodox Islam.

 

The Happening(in Film)

The Happening is beset by a number of glaring flaws. First, the acting is atrocious

 

The Incredible Hulk(in Film)

Between its uncomplicated plot and high-impact action sequences, this kid-friendly adventure is a perfect summer blockbuster

 

The Strangers(in Film)

This reminded me a lot of the recent movie “Funny Games” because of the lack of plot, unnecessary amounts of blood, and long scenes of what was supposed to be “suspense”.

 

Kung Fu Panda(in Film)

Well, if you take Five Deadly Venoms’, ‘Shoalin Vs.Lama’, and ‘The Kid with The Golden Arm’ and you make it animated, you get ‘Kung Fu Panda’, a fun filled family adventure that will have you feeling like you can take on Bruce Lee in his heyday.

 

You Don't Mess With The Zohan (in Film)

Zohan is a throwback to the sort of sloppily-edited, crude fare which first made Sandler famous.

 

Sex And The City: The Movie (in Film)

Director Michael Patrick King successfully weaves together each character’s story as they live, love, and learn that old habits die hard or sometimes not at all.

 

Stuck (in Film)

Stuck is a harrowing tale which maintains a palpable tension for the duration. Just don’t watch it on an empty stomach

 

Savage Grace (in Film)

A feel-bad peek at how the other half lives showing that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (in Film)

Just thank your lucky stars that Harrison Ford has the charisma to reinvent one of the most-beloved characters in screen history.

 

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (in Film)

A heartwarming universal message that perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks afterall, especially if they have to do with forgiveness and tolerance.

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (in Film)

With the main cast and the voice of Liam Neesam as the voice of Aslan back, as well as the creatures and CGI effects, there’s enough adventures and suspense for the entire family to enjoy

 

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer(in Film)

This female empowerment flick nonetheless affirms the notion of satisfaction as a woman’s prerogative

 

What Happens in Vegas (in Film)

A recycled romantic comedy best left in Vegas

 

IronMan (in Film)

'Iron Man' is not only action packed, as expected, but it is also laced with a story that has substance and with some wit and romance added to please all ages.

 

Baby Mama (in Film)

About the best that can be said for this formulaic, instantly-forgettable romp is that it’s above average for an SNL alum vehicle.

 

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (in Film)

A crass, classic, take-the-money-and-run ripoff which squanders a golden opportunity to make a statement about racial profiling, the Patriot Act and the Geneva Conventions in favor of serving up a mindless teensploit laced with shockingly-graphic images.

 

88 Minutes (in Film)

A comical crime thriller where you’re likely to find yourself more amused by the unintentionally funny goings-on than try to solve the underlying whodunit

 

 

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (in Film)

Latest Apatow Teensploit Fails to Measure Up to Recent Offerings

 

Anamorph (in Film)

Though the movie takes its title, Anamorph, from an asexual stage of reproduction in the life of a fungus, don’t expect to find any fungi, I mean fun guys in this lame excuse for graphic displays of vivisection

 

Street Kings (in Film)

Street Kings is a disaster for several simple reasons: a preposterous premise, less credible plot twists, too much gratuitous violence, too many ethnic slurs, an absence of likable characters plus another wooden performance from Keanu Reeves.

 

Smart People (in Film)

A dysfunctional-family drama which might as well have been titled Smart Alecks

 

The Take (in Film)

Leguizamo, along with Rosie Perez, give intense and credible performances in what could easily be a B movie.

 

Jellyfish (in Film)

A surreal adventure which whimsically intertwines the lives of several women whose paths crisscross in present-day Tel Aviv.

 

Street Kings (in Film)

Street Kings is a disaster for several simple reasons: a preposterous premise, less credible plot twists, too much gratuitous violence, too many ethnic slurs, an absence of likable characters plus another wooden performance from Keanu Reeves.

 

Smart People (in Film)

A dysfunctional-family drama which might as well have been titled Smart Alecks

 

The Take (in Film)

Leguizamo, along with Rosie Perez, give intense and credible performances in what could easily be a B movie.

 

Jellyfish (in Film)

A surreal adventure which whimsically intertwines the lives of several women whose paths crisscross in present-day Tel Aviv.

 

My Blueberry Nights(in Film)

The film was not a vehicle for its impressive veteran cast to showcase their talent. The characters were poorly developed and felt one dimensional.

 

Leatherheads(in Film)

Half slapstick, half romantic romp, the picture is at its best when indulging in witty repartee between Clooney and Renee Zellweger.

 

Sex and Death 101(in Film)

A kinky dramedy that is every bit as eerily chilling as it is irreverently funny

 

Flight of the Red Balloon(in Film)

A slight, surreal cinematic experiment apt to enthrall the more discerning theatergoer, while leaving the mundane masses scratching their heads and asking, “Is that it?”

 

 

Skid Row (in Film)

An eye-opening documentary which paints a good picture of what life is like for today’s hobos.

 

Stop Loss (in Film)

Well-scripted and convincingly executed, this raw, super-realistic thriller is made all the more riveting by the sense you get that very similar scenarios are likely currently unfolding all across America

 

Run, Fatboy, Run (in Film)

Run, Fatboy, Run is well enough crafted to keep you in stitches while on the edge of your seat for the duration, even if this laff-a-minute escape is more mindless than cerebral.

 

Flawless(in Film)

This multi-layered whodunit is masterfully-constructed to keep you confounded and guessing about the next bizarre twist from start to finish.

 

TYLER PERRY’S MEET THE BROWNS (in Film)

Overall, ‘Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns’ is not as multi-layered and spiritual uplifting as a the previous films, but it will still appeal to his usual fan base.

 

Irina Palm (in Film)

A thought-provoking drama, which arrives in a timely fashion, given these dire days of skyrocketing medical costs and a governor caught consorting with high-priced call girls.

 

Love Songs (in Film)

Why make a movie about bohemian swingers, if all you’re going to serve up is the French equivalent of a Broadway musical?

 

dPlanet B-Boy (in Film)

An exhilarating homage which deservedly elevates the rubber-limbed performers to the level of world-class gymnasts.

 

Never Back Down (in Film)
The Karate Kid joins the Fight Club and kicks butt!

 

Wetlands Preserved (in Film)
Wetlands Preserved is a fitting tribute to those intrepid souls who dared to try to carve out an altruistic utopian escape right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a most materialistic metropolis.

 

College Road Trip (in Film)
More funereal than comical, with a universal message that gets lost in the shuffle.

 

SEMI-PRO (in Film)
Another goofy spoof strictly for the Ferrell faithful who ostensibly never tire of such bottom-feeding fare

 

LIVE AND BECOME (Va, Vis et Deviens) (in Film)
Ethiopian Identity at Issue in Coming-of-Age Flick from Israel

 

A RAISIN IN THE SUN (in Film)
A Raisin in the Sun will premiere on ABC-TV at 8 PM (EST) on Monday, February 25th. (Check local listings)

 

Be Kind Rewind (in Film)
Nothing can save this overambitious enterprise embarked upon by a couple of idiots, full of sound and fury but ultimately signifying nothing.

 

COVER (in Film)
Duplicitous Life on the Down-Low Theme of Murder Mystery

 

American GangsterDefinitely, Junebe (in Film)
You’re apt to enjoy the unpredictable hijinks along the path to this implausible romp’s carefully-concealed resolution.

 

American GangsterWelcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (in Film)
Not even a soulful soliloquy before the closing credits about the importance of family could undo the damage already done by this otherwise impressively pointless minstrel show.

 

American GangsterRambo (in Film)
Not to worry, geriatric Rambo, AARP poster boy, still saves the day!

 

American GangsterHow She Move (in Film)
Given that it revolves around dance and a protagonist whose sibling dies at the point of departure, How She Move is enough of a variation on the theme to stand on its own.

 

American GangsterUntraceable (in Film)
This psychological thriller’s well-earned tension is ultimately undone by a practically comical set of improbable developments during the denouement.

 

American Gangster4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (in Film)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is a relentlessly-depressing, slice-of-life drama which unfolds over the course of 24 hours.

 

American GangsterMeet the Spartans (in Film)
Don’t expect anything of depth and you won’t be disappointed by this predigested pabulum.

 

American GangsterCloverfield (in Film)
This cleverly-conceived screamfest was shot entirely with a shaky hand-held camera being operated by one of the film’s central characters.

 

American GangsterFirst Sunday (in Film)
A cringe-inducing, cinematic tribute to the Golden Age of Minstrelsy!

 

American GangsterThe Bucket List (in Film)
A feelgood, end-of-life flick that somehow manages to buoys the spirits.

 

American GangsterThe Orphanage (in Film)
It’s effective at casting a creepy pall over the proceedings which permeate the picture for the duration.

 

American GangsterHoneydripper (in Film)
A thought-provoking slice of African-Americana sans the shucking and jiving which Hollywood typically attaches to black-oriented fare.

 

American GangsterThe Great Debaters (in Film)
Not only is this a feel good story, but it’s moving and inspirational for all.

 

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (in Film)
Relatively lighthearted romp about a real-life James Bond.

 

I AM LEGEND (in Film)
Amidst some CGI flaws, Smith still gives a tour-de-force perfomance as the last man on Earth.

 

The Kite Runner (in Film)
The Kite Runner unfortunately, fails to engage the audience on a visceral level, in spite of its earnest endeavor to tug on one’s heartstrings.

 

The Perfect Holiday (in Film)
What could have been a film that folks can watch for ages, it’s merely something you’d probably consider as a ‘bin’ movie in a box when you pass by your local video store.

 

Juno (in Film)
The upshot is a terminally-clever comedy that’s laced with lots of inspired sardonic humor but can’t quite convince you to take its slowly thickening plot seriously

 

American GangsterThe Diving Bell And The Butterfly (in Film)

The magnificence of this film is in its storytelling; narrative and metaphorical, visceral and poetic, in the specificity and trauma of one man's life.


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DVD Releases

Latest Additions:
 
THIS CHRISTMAS(DVD REVIEW)

This wholesome family flick does a decent job of interweaving the strands of the leads’ predicaments in an entertaining fashion.

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY(DVD REVIEW)

Despite a strong supporting cast , the picture belongs to Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut, who certainly generate the romance genre’s requisite chemistry.


IRON MAN(DVD REVIEW)

A ‘Marvel’-ously cerebral superhero with a functioning conscience. 


88 Minutes DVD Review

An excessively violent, sloppily-edited, unintentionally funny, overly sentimental affair which has nothing much going for it beyond a snazzy score and some stylized special effects.


STREET KINGS (DVD REVIEW)

When you have trouble reading a hero’s motivations at every turn, the result is a comical headscratcher like this unmitigated mess.


All About Us (DVD REVIEW)

A semi-autobiographical love story chronicling the similar options once weighed in real life by the husband/wife team of producer Michael Swanson and scriptwriter/director Christine Swanson.


DVD REVIEW | Never Back Down

While Never Back Down has few surprises for anyone familiar with The Karate Kid, it does add a few 21st Century elements to the mix which at least serve to make the familiar formula feel refreshed.


Chop Shop DVD

It makes this film fascinating is that it’s hard to know whether what you’re watching is acting or just a slice-of-life documentary.


Sex and Death 101 DVD Review

A female empowerment fantasy where a latter-day Casanova meets his match in the reincarnation of Lorena Bobbitt.


DVD REVIEW | Be Kind, Rewind(in Film)

Be Kind, Rewind fails to measure up to expectations. The poorly-executed recreations of familiar scenes from hit films simply fall flat

 

Jumper DVD(in Film)

The worst sci-fi concept since The Adventures bof Pluto Nash placed Eddie Murphy on the moon.

 

The Bucket List DVD (in Film)

A feelgood, end-of-life flick that transcends its sobering subject-matter to miraculously buoy one’s spirits.

 

Semi-Pro DVD review (in Film)

Another goofy spoof strictly for the Ferrell faithful who ostensibly never tire of such bottom-feeding fare

 

National Treasure 2 DVD (in Film)

The manic pace of the picture is designed with the joy stick generation in mind, because it unfolds frenetically, more like a mind-numbing computer game.

 

Untraceable DVD (in Film)

'Regrettably, this psychological thriller’s well-earned tension is ultimately undone by a practically comical set of improbable developments during the denouement

 

DVD: Charlie Wilson's War (in Film)

Unless somebody’s taking liberties with the truth here, history will one day confirm that all it took to bring an end to the Cold War was the valiant efforts of a party animal who knew his way around Washington well-enough to be unburdened by red tape, bureaucrats or democracy.

 

DVD: There Will Be Blood (in Film)

A turn of the century saga, starring Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis, ostensibly-inspired by Oil!, the class-conscious novel published by Upton Sinclair back in 1927.

 

pic I Am Legend DVD review (in Film)

Unfortunately, the second-rate special effects leave a lot to be desired, so the arrival of the cheesy monsters he has to wrestle with fails to measure up to the tension built in anticipation.

 

American GangsterMichael Clayton DVD review (in Film)
Corporate ethics is at the center of the intricate web woven by this modern morality play.

 

American GangsterWhy Did I Get Married? DVD review (in Film)
The Best Man meets The Big Chill, only with more flava.

 

American GangsterGone, Baby Gone DVD Review (in Film)
Gone Baby Gone is a meticulously-twisted thriller guaranteed to keep you on edge and guessing right up to its shocking conclusion.

 

American GangsterThe Game Plan DVD review (in Film)
Formulaic, but watchable.

 

American GangsterShe's Gotta Have It DVD review (in Film)
fter 22 years, Spike Lee’s feature film debut still more than holds up for a bare bones production made on a shoestring budget in a dozen days.

 

American Gangster3:10 to Yuma DVD (in Film)
A complicated cowboy flick where you don’t know whether to root for the guys in the white or the black hats.

 

American GangsterShoot 'Em Up DVD (in Film)
A one-dimensional cinematic treat best savored with one’s brain on pause.

 

Rush Hour 3 DVD (in Film)
Soufflé-light fare with a wafer-thin plot just compelling enough to keep you amused by the comic crime caper until the very end.

 

Eastern Promises DVD (in Film)
A mesmerizing thriller designed with a penchant for lingering depictions of utter depravity

 

The Bourne Ultimatum DVD review (in Film)
Another stunt-driven, Matt Damon vehicle about a relentless killing machine without a memory caught up in manic, mindless Junehem not of his own making.

 

Interview DVD review (in Film)
Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller generate enough chemistry here to keep one transfixed for the duration of this daring mindbender.

 

Dirty Laundry DVD (in Film)
The motley ensemble’s supportive response to the secret in the film proves to be a surprisingly sweet way to bring down the curtain on this well-meaning message movie

 

American GangsterPirates of the Caribbean At World's End DVD (in Film)

Best thought of as a Johnny Depp vehicle to be savored as a mindless, mildly scary escape.

American GangsterSuperbad DVD (in Film)

You will be richly rewarded by this testosterone-fueled fantasy which is easily the funniest movie of 2007.

American GangsterWaitress DVD (in Film)

Waitress is a warts-and-all tale of female empowerment featuring adult-oriented humor as sophisticated as the mature themes it tackles.

 
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