|
|
|
Movies
With the help of City Paper film critics, Movies editor Josh Middleton counts down the weekend's six new-movie releases, from least- to most-worthy of your precious time and hard-earned dollar bills.
No. 6: The fact that This Means War stars the adorable Reese Witherspoon and hilariously bitchy Chelsea Handler is a major plus, but it's hard to get behind this cheese-tastic comedy that critic Michael Gold calls a "clumsy ... two-hour identity crisis." On his Twitter page, Gold suggests skipping the movie to stay home and Google pics of Chris Pine instead. Read the rest of his review here. (UA 69th Street, UA Grant, UA Riverview)
Movie critic (and the guy who compiles our weekly repertory film listings) Michael Gold reviews his favorite Netflix Instant flick of the week.
Whether by Twitter, Tumblr or text message, all you hear from TV-lovin’ couch potatoes these days is Downton Abbey this, Downton Abbey that. Maggie Smith is on more lips than Miley Cyrus, and PBS has achieved a newfound relevance more shocking than the meteoric rise of an Asian-American Harvard grad in the NBA. Despite the efforts of many a critic, Generation Me’s obsession with an Edwardian costume drama remains largely unexplained.
Truth be told, I don’t find Downton diphtheria (think Bieber fever for people with discerning taste) so surprising. Especially since it was only 11 years ago that Robert Altman tapped into America’s hidden love for the British gentry when he released Gosford Park. Also starring Dame Maggie as a sharp-tongued countess, Gosford Park combines its intricate class study with an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. Gorgeous camerawork immerses viewers in a lush country estate, making us flies on the wall as upstairs-downstairs tensions boil and the quarrels of the highborn unfold. Though the first season of Downton is streaming on Netflix as well, Gosford Park’s biting take on the supposed travails of the wealthy makes it well worth a watch.
Read City Paper film critic Sam Adam’s review here.
(michael.gold@citypaper.net) (@migold)
With the help of City Paper film critics, Josh Middleton counts down the weekend's seven new-movie releases, from least- to most-worthy of your precious time and hard-earned dollar bills.
Movie critic (and the guy who compiles our weekly repertory film listings) Michael Gold reviews his favorite Netflix Instant flick of the week.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a holiday more polarizing than Valentine’s Day. The mere mention of Russell Stover is enough to start a bar brawl, and Cupid save the person who dares utter the phrase “Hallmark holiday” to a doe-eyed, lovestruck duo. February 14 is both heartwarming and fear-inducing, a potent combination that makes it difficult to find just the right movie for the occasion.
Leave it to Park Chan-wook, badass master of arthouse-oriented thrillers, to set the perfect mood in Thirst (2009, South Korea, 133 min.). The story of a priest who turns into a vampire after a medical experiment goes awry, Thirst was a critical favorite for its fresh — and terrifyingly carnal — take on the well-worn vampire lore. Lurking underneath the blood-tinted fangs, however, is the illicit and sweeping romance of a priest and his best friend’s wife. It’s their affair that propels this film’s darkest moments before it ultimately lands at a surprisingly heartfelt ending.
Read City Paper's review here.
(michael.gold@citypaper.net) (@migold)
With the help of City Paper film critics, Josh Middleton counts down the weekend's five new-movie releases, from least- to most-worthy of your precious time and hard-earned dollar bills.
Movie critic (and the guy who compiles our weekly repertory film listings) Michael Gold reviews his favorite Netflix Instant flick of the week.
February is upon us, which means bland date movies occupying theater screens and romantic-movie marathons inundating cable. And yes, if you’re looking for a heart-wrenching romance or insipid chick flick, Netflix certainly has plenty to offer. But the February event that has my heart atwitter is the Oscars — especially because I’m still reeling from the Academy’s gratuitous snubs.
There were plenty of good films left off the shortlist for the Super Bowl of cinema, but not one of the omissions tugged at my heartstrings more than Senna (2011, U.K., 105 min.). Asif Kapadia’s documentary about Ayrton Senna offers far more than a satisfying homage for motorheads who can’t get enough of the legendary Brazilian racing champ. Using archival footage and sparse narration, the doc paints a touching portrait of an enigmatic man whose desire to win was all-consuming. It’s a stunningly emotional foray into a sport known for its mechanical uniformity — which makes it a perfect watch for the month of love.
Read City Paper film critic Cindy Fuch’s review here.
(michael.gold@citypaper.net) (@migold)
With based-on-a-book Big Miracle and The Woman in Black hitting silver screen this weekend — and 
board-game blockbuster Battleship lurking ominously on the horizon — it seems clear Hollywood has run out of fresh ideas. Odds are you find that disconcerting, so here’s a comforting thought from the folks at the International House: Hollywood never had any originality to begin with. In a discussion titled “Pleasures and Pitfalls of Film Adaptation,” Penn and NYU professors will gather to explore cinema’s illustrious history of profiting off the creativity of others. At a time when adapted screenplays abound, these scholars hope to show that transferring material between media can be more of an art form than a simple copy-paste job. And if you can’t make it, rest assured; a movie version will likely be in theaters this December.
Wed., Feb. 1, 5 p.m., free, International House, 3701 Chestnut St., 215-387-5125, ihousephilly.org.
With the help of City Paper film critics, Josh Middleton counts down this weekend's eight new-movie releases, from least- to most-worthy of your precious time and hard-earned dollar bills.
With the help of City Paper film critics, Josh Middleton counts down the weekend's six new movie releases, from least- to most-worthy of your precious time and hard-earned dollar bills.
Anyone who has seen Tommy Wiseau's directorial debut, The Room (screening tomorrow at Bryn Mawr Film Institute), can attest to his status in cult film culture. Sure, audiences may mock him and deride his film — along with his accent — but Wiseau is a folk hero to many admirers. On the phone from L.A., the writer/director/producer/star chatted with City Paper about The Room. His answers clarified some things, but obscured others. Wiseau’s style of speaking is not unlike his film — earnest and from the heart, but full of non-sequiturs and fascinating digressions.
City Paper: Oh, hi, Tommy!
Tommy Wiseau: We have half an hour. Ask me what you want. Doesn't mean you'll get what you want. Let's start it and have a groovy time.
CP: OK! I’ve always wondered, why is your film called The Room?
TW: Let me give you background before I respond to your question. A title has a special place in my heart. So that’s why I called it The Room. What I emphasize is: It's not A Room — it's THE Room. It's a special place you have — in your heart or your home. It could be in your basement.
- Activism
- Arts
- Arts Events
- Books
- Dance
- First Person Fest
- Last Chance
- Museum
- On the Fringe
- Philly Artists
- The Curator
- Theater
- Visual Art
- Arts News
- Artist Profile
- Arts Preview
- Street Art
- Been There, Done That
- Big Ups
- Comedy
- LOL With It
- Stand-up
- Critical Mass
- DVD
- Events
- Friday Fill-in
- Ice Cubes
- In Memoriam
- Interview
- Just Do It
- Just Opened
- Kaleidoscopic
- LGBTQ
- Art Phag
- Mailbag
- Movies
- Film Fest
- Movie Review
- On set
- Scenester
- screening
- trailer!
- Music
- 10 Track Mind
- Album
- Album Review
- Concert Review
- DJs
- Local Support
- Now Hear This
- One Track Mind
- Philly Bands
- Show
- Somebody Else Was There
- Song
- The Showdown
- concert photos
- jazz
- DJ Nights Blogged
- Night Watch
- Now See This
- Poetic License
- Printed Matter
- Radio
- Shopping
- Coveted
- Fashion
- What We Heart
- TV
- 24
- Idol Hands
- Mad Men
- ProjRun
- True Blood
- Useless Lost Recaps
- Couch Potato
- Shore Trash
- Turned ONN
- TopMod
- Video Games
- Free Online Game
- PSP
- PlayStation 2
- The 1-Upper
- Wii
- Web Junk
- CAGE MATCH
- Free Online Toy
- Weekend Omnibus
- Win
