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Dying On The ‘Edge’: All You Need Is Cruise
I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but in 2014, the summer blockbusters are actually good. All of them? No. Let me start over. Most of the summer blockbusters this year have been pretty good,...
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Roger & Us: The Critic Becomes The Star In ‘Life Itself’
The story of Roger Ebert is a curious one. The man didn’t set out to be a film critic, but he ended up being the film critic. He’s still best known as the owner of one of two fateful thumbs from his...
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Boy’s Life: Adolescence Unfolds Before Our Eyes In ‘Boyhood’
Movies entertain in different ways. Many are meant as mere diversions; some aim to bemuse, fewer aim to bewitch. One typically considers independent films less ambitious than their studio-made...
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Pain, Trains & Automobiles: ‘The Rover’&‘Snowpiercer’
You know what I hate about myself? I know what people taste like. I know that babies taste best. That’s not a confession. It’s one of the most memorable lines in Bong Joon-Ho’s new film Snowpiercer —...
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‘Galaxy’ Jest: Marvel Trades Amazement For Amusement
A few years back, Joss Whedon surprised us by releasing a superhero movie that satisfied all the mega-blockbuster mega-requirements and still found room for a little of the Buffy creator’s trademark...
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On Poor Taste: A Cinephile Grapples With Lowbrow Likes
(A version of the following first appeared in INsite Boston in 2005. Please forgive the dated references. The overall content is still relevant!) There’s a golden rule in courtship that says, “Never...
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Boo, Hiss!: A B-Movie Slithers Into Hollywood’s Mile-High Club
(Flashback Friday: This month marks the eight-year anniversary of this slithery thriller. So here’s a look back at a curious moment in film history; an examination of movies of the “so bad it’s good”...
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City Of Angles: L.A. Gets Its Closeup In ‘Los Angeles Plays Itself’
This week, I had a chance to check out Los Angeles Plays Itself, a docu-essay by Thom Andersen that chronicles how L.A. is represented in the movies — not only the ones that take place there, but also...
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In Heat: A Writer Struggles To Keep His Cool
School’s out, the sky is blue, and that summer sloth will be cured by just one thing—caffeine, and lots of it. Thus coffee shops are still the hangout du jour in the summertime, a place to chit-chat...
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Rock, Paper, Twitter: Fassbender Gives Good Head In ‘Frank’
There’s a thin line between genius and madness. Or, if Frank is to be believed, no line at all. Frank is the sort of movie that sneaks up on you all at once. If I had, for some reason, walked out of...
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The One I Love Is Strange: Two Movie Marriages Put To The Test
It’s official. 2014 is the year of the doppelganger. I said it before, and I’m saying it again. I may even say it again a time or two before the end of the year, if the trend continues. Two...
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Bread And Circuses: Um, So, Yeah… What The Hell Is ‘Enemy’ About?
Enemy is one of my favorite films of this year. But not everyone feels that way. The film’s surprising and confounding ending has left many scratching their heads, searching for meaning. I know,...
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The Five Best Fucking Film Podcasts
Back in the pre-podcast era (circa 2000 or so), I used to claim that I hated talk radio. “I don’t like people yammering on in my ear!” I claimed. As it turns out, though, I do like people yammering in...
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‘Starred Up’ For What: Jack O’Connell Is The New Tom Hardy
The strong, silent type is a character that goes all the way back to the beginning of cinema… but that’s mostly because those movies were silent. Still, stoic males have been front and center in...
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Dad’s Dead: The Sad, Squabbling Siblings Of ‘The Skeleton Twins’&‘This Is...
“Dad’s dead.” These are the first words of the book This Is Where I Leave You, spoken by Wendy Foxman. How does she say it? “Offhandedly, like it’s happened before, like it happens every day. It can be...
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‘Gotham’ Babies: Fall TV Review (Part One)
Hey everyone! It’s that special time of year! The new TV shows have premiered! Yeah, okay — that used to be a big deal, back when network TV was a thing. Now? Shows debut pretty much year-round, and...
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Here’s Looking At You, Kids: Passing The Baton To Generation MySpace
(Throwback Thursday: Today we’re flashing back to October 2006. It’s hard to imagine that news about social media was once a novel and somewhat shocking thing. This piece reflects the moment that...
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Cool ‘Girl': Marriage And Media Are The Real Killers In Fincher’s Latest
Marriage is a contract. We select one person we love and trust, and pledge to continue loving and trusting them until our dying breath. We give them equal stake in all our assets. We promise to be with...
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Tempo Tantrum: J.K. Simmons Drums Up A Terrifying Case Of ‘Whiplash’
Annabelle. Gone Girl. Ouija. It’s no accident that such films are released in October. That’s when audiences are most in the mood to be thrilled and chilled, perhaps even killed, at the movies. Most...
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Don’t Do Anything: Life Gets Easier Thanks To DVR
(Flashback Friday: The danger in writing about something “cutting edge” is that you will soon sound ridiculous. So I’ve learned upon reexamining my old columns, such as this one about the dawning of...
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