I was hoping for at least a few surprises with this year’s Oscar nominations, but I never expected this. There are shockers and snubs in every major category – some good and some not so good: – I’m very happy that “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” got a Best Picture nom. Most thought it didn’t […]

The schedule for the second half of 2012 is a little thin, but that’s always the case as studios decide where to move films to get them in the best position to succeed at the box office and get attention for awards. But there are some major releases already in place, with July leading the […]

The Golden Globes had some big highlights and some disappointing surprises. Here are some of the highs and lows: – Ricky Gervais had a strong start with his best monologue yet as GG host, but slowly cooled down. He should be back next year. – “The Descendants” wins Best Picture – Drama and “The Artist” […]

Hard to argue with this year’s “The Critics Choice Movie Awards”, especially the decision to name “The Artist” as the Best Film of 2011. Here are some other highlights: Best Actor – George Clooney “The Descendants” Best Actress – Viola Davis “The Help” Best Supporting Actor – Christopher Plummer “Beginners” (Jonah Hill was sadly snubbed […]

Preview Time! Mark your new calendar with these upcoming releases for the first half of 2012: January 13 – “Joyful Noise” 13 – “Beauty and the Beast 3D” 20 – “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Wide Release) 20 – “Red Tails” 27 – “Man on a Ledge” February 3 – “Big Miracle” 10 – “Journey […]

My worst films of 2011: 10. “We Bought a Zoo” Incredibly forced family dramedy that features the most manipulative script of any film this year. Director Cameron Crowe tries to make you tear-up in scene after scene after scene. The attempts at comedy are just as bad. 9. “In Time” Interesting premise and promising start, […]

Here are my Best of the Best that Hollywood had to offer in 2011. 10. “The Muppets” Terrific comeback film for a all-but forgotten franchise.Great musical numbers and a lot of heart. Old fans and a new generation of kids were not disappointed. 9. “Hanna” Saoirse Ronan starred in this exciting action thriller about a […]

There were plenty of animals on display in movies this year. Here are the Worst in Show: 10) Simone (a.k.a. Simon as a French Adventurer) – “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked”. That subplot is ridiculous. What’s even more ridiculous is that the filmmakers had to hire another actor to voice Simon as Simone (Alan Tudyk […]

Ten Best Performances by an Animal (Real or Fake) in 2011: 10) Argonaut the Dog – “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World”. Played by Elmo the dog, voiced by Ricky Gervais (the only somewhat funny thing in the entire movie). 9) Bitey – “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” – There were real penguins on set! […]

Christmas Weekend at the Box Office wasn’t very strong. With the big holiday on a Sunday, all of the family movies disappointed, but the more adult films didn’t do much better. “M:I4” won with $26.5M (the lowest open in the franchise – hurt by the IMAX opening). “Sherlock 2” dropped over 50% from the previous […]