I wrote this review in 2012, expecting that the film would eventually be released theatrically. It never happened--at least not in the Bay Area. However, as it's available on disc and pay-per-view, I've decided to publish the review. C Drama Written by Tom Epperson & Billy Bob Thornton Directed by Billy Bob Thornton When Sling … Continue reading Jayne Mansfield’s Car
Category: Reviews
The Two Faces of January: The Best Thrillers Take Their Time
A thriller Written by Hossein Amini, from a novel by Patricia Highsmith Directed by Hossein Amini The less you know about The Two Faces of January when you walk into the theater, the more you’re going to enjoy it. So I’m going to try talking about this thriller without giving away much of the plot. … Continue reading The Two Faces of January: The Best Thrillers Take Their Time
Five Came Back: Great film directors go to war
It's hard to imagine an America so entirely at war that every aspect of the economy is affected. Where GM and Ford stop making cars to concentrate on bomber planes and tanks. Where healthy young men all but disappear from civilian life. And where five of Hollywood's top directors (along with multiple screenwriters, cinematographers, and … Continue reading Five Came Back: Great film directors go to war
The Zero Theorem doesn’t add up to much
C+ Dystopian satire Written by Pat Rushin Directed by Terry Gilliam In the 1980s, Terry Gilliam made three sci-fi/fantasy comedies that stood with the best films of that decade. But his best work is now far behind him. His latest movie, The Zero Theorem, although visually exciting and occasionally provocative, doesn't really go anywhere. Quentin … Continue reading The Zero Theorem doesn’t add up to much
To be a Gay Japanese-American Sci-Fi Actor and the Subject of To Be Takei
B+ Documentary Directed by Jennifer M. Kroot Who would have guessed that, almost 50 years after Star Trek first premiered on NBC, George Takei would be the most beloved member of the original cast. But why not. He has a warm, upbeat personality and a great sense of humor. He's been a political activist for … Continue reading To be a Gay Japanese-American Sci-Fi Actor and the Subject of To Be Takei
Book vs. Film: Red River
When someone turns a mediocre book into a great film, people forget that it ever was a book. Such is the case with Borden Chase's decent but unexceptional novel, Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail, and the cinematic masterpiece that Howard Hawks made out of it, Red River. As I mentioned in my Red River … Continue reading Book vs. Film: Red River
Boyhood: As Real as Fiction Gets
A Long-form drama Written and directed by Richard Linklater I'm a sucker for long films that take place over the course of several years. But I've never seen one as real as Richard Linklater's Boyhood. This isn't a story of an extraordinary person, or of a normal person going through an extraordinary experience. But it … Continue reading Boyhood: As Real as Fiction Gets
A Life Itself at the Movies
A- Documentary Directed by Steve James The first thing you have to understand about Life Itself, Steve James' biographical documentary about Roger Ebert, is that James is hardly a dispassionate observer. He was not a close friend to Ebert, but he owed a lot to the famous film critic. It was Ebert, and his partner … Continue reading A Life Itself at the Movies
Palo Alto: More Dazed and Completely Confused
B+ Written and directed by Gia Coppola From the book Palo Alto Stores by James Franco High school kids lead rough lives. They’re under great pressure to get into a good university. They desperately want to break free of their parents. They have to deal with an immense peer pressure. They’re trying to work out … Continue reading Palo Alto: More Dazed and Completely Confused
Bad film turns good: My review of Young & Beautiful
B drama Written and directed by François Ozon As François Ozon’s drama about a 17-year-old prostitute nears its mid-point, you might find yourself wondering why you're sitting through such an awful piece of junk. Then, beyond all expectations, the film gets interesting. The once-cardboard characters become intriguing and worth caring about. A bad film has … Continue reading Bad film turns good: My review of Young & Beautiful
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