Month: February 2009

Opening in Chicago, 02/27

Yippee! A few things actually worth seeing! Bigger Than Life Rebel Without a Cause Director: Nicholas Ray The two films are both playing the week at the Gene Siskel Film Center. I’ve seen Rebel, but it was several years ago and would like to see it again. Life seems like a real treat, since I’ve […]

Read More Opening in Chicago, 02/27

Trailer for Abrazos Rotos

This teaser of Pedro Almodóvar’s Los Abrazos Rotos (The Broken Embraces) makes me think that it may end up being one of the year’s best films. Composed of short scenes of Penelope Cruz embracing a variety of men in a variety of ways, the brightly colored wardrobe make it look like it could take place […]

Read More Trailer for Abrazos Rotos

The Class (Entre les Murs)

Perhaps the biggest surprise at this year’s Oscars was the win by the Japanese film, Departures, in the Foreign Language category. These things always seem like surprises when all of the films haven’t had a theatrical release in the U.S. Some have wrung their hands that Waltz With Bashir didn’t win, but I doubt those […]

Read More The Class (Entre les Murs)

Animated Shorts

I found myself in New Haven today with some time to kill, so I went to the Bow Tie Criterion, which was featuring a program of all of the short subject films that are nominated for Oscars this year (I wanted to see Waltz With Bashir, but the times didn’t work out). They split the […]

Read More Animated Shorts

Opening in Chicago, 02/20

The All Chewbacca-Quotes Edition: Fired Up! (trailer) Director: Will Gluck “Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrghhhh!” Metacritic: 32 Just Another Love Story (trailer) Director: Ole Bornedal (Nightwatch) “Oooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnngghhh!” Metacritic: 69 Madea Goes to Jail (trailer) Director: Tyler Perry (Madea’s Family Reunion, Daddy’s Little Girls, Meet the Browns, The Family That Preys) “Ggggrrrgggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrr!” Metacritic: no score

Read More Opening in Chicago, 02/20

Auto Focus (2002)

Paul Schrader’s film ‘Auto Focus’, about the latter stages entertainer Bob Crane’s life (most famous as the star of hit 1960s TV show Hogan’s Heroes), came and went with little fanfare in 2002. But it’s a film that lingered in my mind when I first saw it several years ago and upon seeing it again […]

Read More Auto Focus (2002)

Watchmen Clip

Defamer (via The Sun Online) has what I believe is the first long-form clip of a completed scene from Watchmen.  I don’t want to spoil it, so watch it there and then head back to comment.

Read More Watchmen Clip

‘Taken’ is a phenomenon

I remember questioning FOX’s decision to hold back Taken from September to January when the move was announced.  The film had already been released on DVD/Blu-Ray worldwide last summer and high-quality streams have been plastered all over the internet for well over 6 months. As such: further delays in getting the thing in front of […]

Read More ‘Taken’ is a phenomenon

Opening in Chicago, 02/13

The All-Radiohead Lyrics Edition: Confessions of a Shopaholic (trailer) Director: P.J. Hogan (Muriel’s Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Peter Pan’s Wedding) “Karma police, arrest this girl.” Alternative: “She is putting on a smile, living in a glass house.” Metacritic: 38 Friday the 13th (trailer) Director: Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Pathfinder) “Cut the kids […]

Read More Opening in Chicago, 02/13