Author Archive
Movie
Fresh out of a mental institution where he was sent after an over-the-top jealous outburst, Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back into to his family home. While his parents welcome him back, their son’s return to everyday li...
Movie
Ostensibly a Christmas movie, Rise of the Guardians, an animated 3D flick based on the William Joyce book series, has a pretty good twist. While it refers to both Santa and Jack Frost, it throws a few other magical childhood he...
Movie
We’re not sure how 1984’s Red Dawn became a cult hit. The film’s cold war theme undoubtedly played into popular fears about a Soviet invasion. And the fact that a group of fearless teens survive and give the communists some ser...
Q&A
A “military brat” who moved around a lot and ended up playing punk rock in England in the late ’70s, singer-guitarist Mark Eitzel moved from city to city before settling in San Francisco shortly after graduating from Ohio State...
Movie
It’s often the case that film festival favorites don’t live up to the hype. A case in point is James Ponsoldt’s Smashed, a movie that won the “U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing” at th...
Movie
When the first James Bond film was released, it was at the height of the Cold War, which created incredible tension between the Western World and the Soviet Union and its communist allies. In this context, it made sense that We...
Flicks
Since she grew up in Russia, writer-director Julia Loktev (Moment of Impact, Night Day Night) can recall how her family and friends regarded the neighboring region of Georgia as a hot vacation spot. So where better to set The L...
Movie
Maverick’s, the big wave surfing spot in Northern California, is the stuff of legend. Many a surfer has been injured or even killed trying to tackle the 25-plus-foot swells for which the spot is known. The place was originally ...
Flicks
Director Barry Levinson initially won acclaim for 1982’s Diner, a period piece about a group of old high school pals who reunite at a Baltimore diner for a friend’s wedding. Since then, he’s built quite a resume working in both...
Movie
There’s no need to recount the plot of Paranormal Activity 4, the latest sequel in the horror film franchise that launched in 2007. Nothing really happens in the slow-moving film. The movie is such a bore, it suggests the serie...