Director Mark Mori pays earnest tribute to an icon in the new documentary, “Bettie Page Reveals All,” screening this weekend at the Dryden Theatre. Page was a hugely popular pin-up model in the late 40’s and early 50’s; what made her unique (besides her considerable beauty) was the way she made her sexuality seem utterly […]
Adam Lubitow
Film critic for CITY Newspaper, writer, iced coffee addict, and dinosaur enthusiast.
Posted inSpecial Sections
WINTER GUIDE: 14 for 2014
Yes, Rochester winters can often seem endless, but City is here to help you make it through these dark times with a selection of 14 can’t-miss events from the first quarter of 2014. Did we miss something especially exciting on your personal calendar? Add it to the comments section of this article at rochestercitynewspaper.com. ART […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “The Great Beauty”
Fresh from its Academy Award nomination last Thursday for Best Foreign Film (and following its Golden Globe win in the same category), Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty” gets its Rochester premiere when the Dryden Theatre screens the alluringly enigmatic film this weekend. Simultaneously a love letter to and critique of modern Rome, the […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “The Invisible Woman”
Ralph Fiennes’ sophomore directorial turn, “The Invisible Woman,” is a handsomely crafted (it boasts Oscar-nominated costume design) but rather bloodless recounting of author Charles Dickens (played by Fiennes) and his secret romantic relationship with 18-year-old stage actress Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones). Ternan is said to be the inspiration for several female characters — including Estella […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “Her”
If you’ve ever been around someone who has lost or misplaced his phone, witnessed a frantic search that seems more appropriate for a missing child than a lifeless gadget, or gone out to dinner with friends only to find each other paying more attention to handheld devices than each other, it’s not too much of […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “Prince Avalanche”
The career trajectory of director David Gordon Green has been a singularly odd one. He first made a name for himself nearly 15 years ago, making indie dramas like “George Washington” and “All the Real Girls,” ruminative coming-of-age tales set in small Southern towns. But he went on to achieve more mainstream success in recent […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “Saving Mr. Banks”
It is often said that history is written by the victors, and that viewpoint goes a long way in explaining the slightly bitter taste left in my mouth by “Saving Mr. Banks,” John Lee Hancock’s (“The Blind Side”) otherwise charming retelling of the behind-the-scenes battle to make Disney’s “Mary Poppins.” It’s expected that liberties will […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “At Berkeley”
Worlds away from the beer bongs and hazing rituals typically associated with films about college life, Fred Wiseman’s sprawling “At Berkeley” immerses us in life at one of the country’s most renowned public institutes of higher learning. Utilizing his strictly observational style (it’s refreshing in the current climate of documentary features that too often tell […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
“Another Christmas with the Calamari Sisters”
“Another Christmas With the Calamari Sisters: Feast of the Seven Fishes” is the latest in the series of campy, irreverent musical-comedy shows featuring bickering (but loving) sisters Carmela and Delphine Calamari, hosts of Brooklyn public-access-television cooking program, “Mangia Italiano.” The characters, created by Jay Falzone, Dan Lavender, and Stephen Smith, have been charming audiences over […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”
“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” took audiences by surprise when it opened nearly a decade ago, in the summer of 2004. The 70’s-era tale of Will Ferrell’s dimwitted, sexist newsman was a minor hit at the box office and has only grown in popularity in the years since. Many of its more memorable lines […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “Nebraska”
Veteran character actor Bruce Dern plays Woody Grant, an aging, unemployed alcoholic convinced he’s won a million dollars in a mail-order sweepstakes in “Nebraska,” Alexander Payne’s darkly comic fable of dreams unfulfilled. After several attempts to set out on foot from his home in Montana, his exasperated son David (Will Forte, in an understated performance) […]
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FILM REVIEW: “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
Peter Jackson’s epic, three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” continues with “The Desolation of Smaug,” and though it still suffers from some of the same issues that plagued the first installment — specifically feeling like an hour of story crammed into three hours of film — this chapter feels more confident, with a renewed […]
