Movies

Two young female Pennsylvania filmmakers have created a film and released it on Youtube that tackles the difficult and dark subject of human trafficking in America. “Remember To Forget Me” is a 30 minute video a year in the making. It has been created to raise awareness on Human Trafficking through artistic film. more»

First of many goodies in a promising sci-fi year
*** (out of four)

Yes, there is more going on than meets the eye in “Oblivion,” the new sci-fi hit starring Tom Cruise. more»

'42' a Stirring Tribute to Jackie Robinson

***1/2 (out of four)

Thanks to “A League of Their Own,” everybody knows there’s no crying in baseball.

But there is crying in baseball movies -- at least for the audience. more»

Pretty and powerful -- until the end
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL **1/2 (out of four)

“Oz the Great and Powerful” strikes a good balance between paying homage to its glorious predecessor and charting its own individual course.

A fairly good balance, that is. more»

A Tale of “Psycho: Ed Gein … and true love
HITCHCOCK: *** (out of four)
 

Surprise, surprise -- “Hitchcock” is a love story.

This late 2012 film about the making of “Psycho” finally arrived in our area in February, playing for a few days at the Campus in Lewisburg. more»

Replicas of Academy Award statuette in a gift store Hollywood (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

This year, Oscar will be a night of firsts.

Among other things, the 2013 slate features both the oldest and youngest females ever to be nominated for Best Actress.

And when Daniel-Day Lewis wins for his uncanny portrayal of Abraham Lincoln (believe me, this is a no-brainer), he’ll become the first man ever to win Best Actor three times. more»

“Silver Linings Playbook”
**** (out of four)

When the credits rolled for “Silver Linings Playbook,” I turned to my wife and said, “Can’t we just stay here and watch it again?”

I was also thinking, “Time to rewrite my best-of-2012 list again.”

“Playbook” goes very close to top. more»

*** (out of four)

Only Quentin Tarantino would use Jim Croce in a shoot-em-up saga of slavery and bounty-hunting.

I confess I never really “got” Tarantino -- until now. I still think his violence is excessive; but the writer-director’s latest movie, “Django Unchained,” is a terrifically entertaining piece of cinema.

Maybe too entertaining. more»

In most years, I find it tough to come up with enough great films for a top-ten list. Not so 2012. I could easily have picked a baker’s dozen from this splendid year; but here are a few of my faves: more»

While final box-office receipts aren’t in yet, this year’s top 20 will likely include nearly a dozen sequels, tie-ins or franchise movies.

Whether “Twilight” or “Madagascar” will still be hot in 10 years remains an open question; but five franchises currently seem stronger than ever -- even after many decades: more»

***1/2 (out of four)

Best Picture, Director, Actor, Music, Supporting Actor and Actress, Cinematography, Costumes and Production Design.

Those are the Oscar noms that will likely go to Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln”; as for winning -- Daniel Day-Lewis just might become the first man ever to grab a third statue for Best Actor. more»

Denzel in FLIGHT: Not your average airplane movie

***1/2 (out of four)

Despite its dazzling crash sequence, “Flight” is not an air-disaster tale; it’s a film about alcoholism -- one of the best ever made on that subject. more»

***1/2 (out of four)

“Thirty years from now is yesterday, and I can remember it.”

This line from “Looper” gives an idea of the mental gymnastics involved in the movie’s time-travel storyline.

But the sentence is poetic, too -- and that’s appropriate; because while this movie has a gripping plot and lots of action, it’s loaded with heart and soul as well. more»

**1/2 (out of four)

“Trouble with the Curve” piddles and plods through a bland but harmless plot, then suddenly springs to life at the end. more»

*** (out of four)

The bike messenger in “Premium Rush” doesn’t have brakes -- and that pretty much describes the movie too.

From the opening scene, this movie kicks into high gear and never slows down till the credits roll. more»

August 22 – Singin’ In The Rain 60th Anniversary Encore, 7:00 PM

The opening scene of the Academy Award winning film classic Lawrence of Arabia, now rereleased after painstaking restoration on its 50th anniversary, zooms in over a vast and seemingly barren desert to slowly reveal a tiny undefinable speck. That speck grows and eventually becomes identifiable as Peter O’Toole and his Bedouin guide riding on their camels. more»

***1/2 (out of four)

Perhaps we can now officially ditch the long-held notion that it’s tough to make a great movie out of a great book. more»

**** (out of four)

Like some other fans of director Christopher Nolan, I’ve been waiting for him to finish the Batman movies so he can move on to more original films like “Memento,” “The Prestige” and “Inception.”

I now officially eat my words. more»

Samuel Siegel as Thought Admiral Kethas epetai-Rustadz, a Klingon character from one of the hundreds of Star Trek novels.

Notes on a convention -- plus a special “TNG” screening at the movies

You might expect an article on a “Star Trek” convention to tease the geeks and nerds dressed up as Enterprise crewmen and green-skinned aliens; but I can’t satisfy that expectation.

For one thing, I’m quite the “Trek” fan myself. more»

Writer Julius Epstein claimed that it had “more corn than the states of Kansas and Iowa combined.  But when corn works, there’s nothing better.”

He was talking about his screenplay for an unassuming little wartime romance back in 1942. more»

"The Artist" is currently nominated for Best Picture in the Academy Awards.

**** (out of four)

Currently poised to win the Oscar for Best Picture, “The Artist” has received rave reviews from nearly every critic -- and I will tell you why.

It’s because we love movies.

Old-fashioned movies.  Black-and-white movies.  Silent movies.  Foreign movies.

“The Artist” is all of these -- and more; in fact, it’s a masterpiece. more»

*** (out of four)

Imagine a handful of ordinary teens who suddenly acquire extraordinary powers -- the ability to fly, to move giant objects, to fend off fists and other attacks.

Would they really use such powers to take down bad guys and rescue those in trouble -- like Peter Parker? more»

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

While 2011 was a fairly tepid year at the movies, 2012 looks downright hot.

Here, in alphabetical order -- with tentative release dates -- are some promising titles on the cinematic horizon: more»

Super 8 movie poster (google images)

***1/2 (out of four)

“Super 8” is a movie about kids making movies.

It’s also about a powerful alien monster.

And young love.

And a catastrophic train wreck.

And the 1970s.

More than anything, it’s about kids and parents dealing with grief and learning to treat each other decently. more»

Woody Allen finally returns to Williamsport in “Midnight in Paris.”

“The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote to the emptiness of existence.”

Thus says Gertrude Stein -- sort of.

It’s actually a sentence written by Woody Allen -- and delivered by Stein’s character in his latest film, a light-hearted romp with solid acting and a salutary message. more»