2004’s TV news comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” is still one of Will Ferrell’s most popular films, even though it only grossed $85 million at the box office. Over the past decade, the film has become a “cult classic”, with fans demanding a sequel. And now their wish has been granted. As was […]
Dino Disaster. Tyrannosaurus Wreck. These may be bad puns, but they perfectly describe the family adventure “Walking with Dinosaurs”, which left its mark as one of the worst movies of 2013. The BBC is behind “Walking with Dinosaurs”, which is loosely adapted from the network’s groundbreaking 1999 miniseries that also gave birth to a global sensation stage show. […]
Peter Jackson directed the epic, Oscar winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. But his resume took a bit of a hit last year thanks to Part 1 of his new 3-Parter, the prequel to “LOTR” – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”. It was long, dull, and shot using the previously unseen HFR (high frame rate) technology, which sped-up the […]
One year after director David O. Russell was able to earn all four of his “Silver Linings Playbook” stars Oscar nominations in their respective categories (the first time that had been done in 30 years), he did it again with the extraordinary ensemble of “American Hustle”, which is a smart, chic, sophisticated con-caper that’s hugely entertaining. A movie about […]
“Winds in the East – mist coming in. Like something is brewing – about to begin.” Colin Farrell’s opening lines in Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks” say it all. I predicted five months ago when the first, and only, trailer for this film was released, that the “Making of Mary Poppins” movie was going to be […]
Joel & Ethan Coen are known for their off-beat and ambitious films which often mix comedy and crime, and feature colorful characters. “Raising Arizona”, “Fargo”, and “The Big Lebowski” certainly fall into that category. The Coens have also gotten gritty, beginning with 1984’s “Blood Simple” and highlighted by 2007’s Oscar-winning “No Country For Old Men” […]
“Out of the Furnace” is an unconventional, gritty drama from director Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”). Christian Bale is very good as Russell, a steel mill worker in rural Braddock, Pennsylvania whose brother Rodney (played by Casey Affleck) is about to serve his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. A fatal DWI accident sends Russell to […]
Four years ago Morgan Freeman received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for playing legendary South African activist Nelson Mandela in the rugby-based film, “Invictus”. Now, Idris Elba takes-on the task of playing the iconic figure in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”, which is based on Mandela’s autobiography. This is a full-on life story. The movie […]
When I was younger, I used to go through my grandmother’s mail with her. Every once in a while we would come across one of those contest entries claiming that she could win a large cash prize, when all they really wanted was to sell magazines or get her personal, private information. Sometimes we’d play […]
“Philomena” is based on the true story of one woman’s quest to find the son who was taken from her when she was a young, unwed mother. Dame Judi Dench, best known for her Oscar winning eight minutes in “Shakespeare in Love” and as 007’s assistant, M, in the last seven Bond movies, shines in […]