Back in 1998 Gus Van Sant directed a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror flick “Psycho,” which simply duplicated the original almost shot-for-shot, without adding to or changing or reinterpreting the material. Kimberly Peirce accomplishes much the same result in her new picture, “Carrie,” a remake of Brian De Palma’s 1976 film; like Van Sant […]
Film review
Posted inMovies
“The Fifth Estate”
For nearly the entire year leading up to the release of “The Fifth Estate,” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has actively campaigned against the film, which depicts the creation of his controversial online organization. He’s done everything he can to ensure the film’s failure; supposedly he even met with Benedict Cumberbatch early on to implore him […]
Posted inMovies
“Captain Phillips”
Based on an account by the title character and more important, on recent events, “Captain Phillips” confronts some compelling contemporary issues in both subject and method. To begin with, the picture belongs to that increasingly popular genre, the docudrama, which shows actual events in a somewhat fictionalized form, like the Iranian hostage crisis in “Argo” […]
Posted inMovies
“Escape From Tomorrow”
When it premiered at Sundance last January, “Escape From Tomorrow” quickly gained notoriety based in large part on the unusual way in which it was filmed. To capture his unique vision of the corporate culture’s dark underbelly, director Randy Moore shot his movie without permission in the Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks. In […]
Posted inMovies
“Zero Charisma”
Also released on On Demand last week, “Zero Charisma” is a dark, satirical send-up of nerd culture that deftly sidesteps stereotypes or passing judgment on its characters. From first-time directors Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews (who also wrote the screenplay), the film focuses on how geeky interests have become mainstream, and what it truly means […]
Posted inMovies
Lost in space
(PG-13), directed by Alfonso Cuaron Now playing The digital revolution, with all its computer-generated images, optical wizardry, and wondrous special effects, now drives far too many filmmakers to produce the bloated blockbusters that rattle the cineplexes summer after summer. Far too often, mechanism substitutes for the traditional content of plot, character, and meaning. Now and […]
Posted inMovies
Puppet masters
I should probably preface this review by saying that I don’t consider myself a Metallica fan. I have nothing against the 32-year-old metal band, mind you. I’ve just never actively followed the group. So take it as a ringing endorsement that, despite my relative indifference, I thoroughly enjoyed the band’s nutty but imaginative new concert […]
Posted inMovies
Puppet masters
There’s a moment in “Enough Said,” the warm-hearted romantic comedy from talented writer-director Nicole Holofcener, when the knowledge that you’re watching one of the late James Gandolfini’s last performances becomes a bit overwhelming. Exactly when that moment comes will undoubtedly vary for you, but for me it occurred as his character goes on his first […]
Posted inMovies
Guy flick, chick flick, skin flick
Joseph Gordon-Levitt might possibly regard “Don Jon” as his Orson Welles achievement — after all, he wrote, directed, and stars in the movie, a Hollywood trifecta. The picture may perhaps rank somewhat below “Citizen Kane” in quality, but we all know that standards everywhere have declined. Rather than an American epic, it begins as an […]
Posted inMovies
On the right track
I’ve always considered Ron Howard a talented director, but never one who gets me excited when I see his name attached to a movie. I think it’s because, while he is responsible for a lot of good movies (some, like “Apollo 13,” I’d even call great), he’s also responsible for cinematic travesties like “How the […]
Posted inMovies
“Prisoners”
With the release of Denis Villeneuve’s chilly, David Fincher-esque procedural “Prisoners,” this year’s Oscar season has officially begun. Boasting several award-worthy performances from its A-list stars, a twisty plot, gorgeous cinematography, and an epic length, the film seems like exactly the sort of thing the Academy loves to reward. Still, the dark, often unpleasant subject […]
Posted inMovies
“Ballin’ at the Graveyard”
Produced in Upstate New York, the documentary “Ballin’ at the Graveyard” posits that every city has one particular basketball court that everyone wants to play on, and functions as a hub in the subculture of urban pickup basketball. The film focuses on one such court, in Albany’s Washington Park, known as the Graveyard. Director Basil […]
