Monthly Archives: February 2009
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is, well, excellent I’ve always wanted to attend a Renaissance faire dressed as Joan of Arc. Together with my pals Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte and Socrates (pronounced “Soh-kraytes”), I’d stroll down the fairway clad in chain mail and pageboy bob — munching a “leg of tom” and marveling at the […]
Box-office romance
Romantic comedies, on-screen couples and chick flicks Hey there, all you lovebirds. As you’ve probably guessed, tomorrow is St. Valentine’s Day — Madison Avenue’s annual paean to greeting cards, flowers and the fertility rites of yore. Chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne are the order of the day. Couples everywhere quiver at the thought of “gettin’ some.” […]
Malcolm McDowell coming to SLO
San Luis Obispo film festival is honoring the “Clockwork Orange” star As far as cinematic villains go, Malcolm McDowell belongs to the same creepy upper echelon as Christopher Walker and Christopher Lee. He can be charming, charismatic, even seductive in a psychopathic way. In some films, he’s a sinister, superior snob. In others, a degenerate […]
3D thrills in "Coraline"
Deliciously creepy “Coraline” will charm kids and adults alike Henry Selick’s psyche must be a fascinating place. The director of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,“ Selick has created another dark fantasy world with the movie “Coraline,” lovingly crafted with stop-motion animation, shot in 3D and based on the book by Newbery Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman […]
"Tron" meets Depeche Mode
“Tron” dominates YouTube while world mourns Lux Interior As everybody knows, there are a few things that go together especially well. Peanut butter and jelly. Tomatoes and basil. Conan O’Brien and “Walker, Texas Ranger.” I have an addition to that list: “Tron” and Depeche Mode. Created by graphic artist Justin Alt, the above video merges […]
Oscar nominee "Man on Wire" and other gems
Local screenings include “Man on Wire” and other documentaries Prepare for a powerful week of movies — starting Saturday with the documentary “Pray the Devil Back to Hell.” Directed by Gini Reticker, “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” is an inspiring look at the small group of Liberian women — Christians and Muslims alike — who […]
"Frost/Nixon" packs a punch
Fierce “Frost/Nixon” comes close to a cinematic knockout Some movies are fencing matches. Playground squabbles. Bare-knuckle brawls. “Frost/Nixon” is a boxing match, pure and simple. In this corner, we have “Tricky Dick” himself — Richard Milhous Nixon, World War II veteran, California Congressman and the 37th president of the United States of America. Charismatic. Cunning. […]
Pain and passion in "The Reader"
“The Reader” explores the collective guilt of a nation Shame hangs over “The Reader” like a storm cloud. Directed by Stephen Daldry (“Billy Elliot,” “The Hours”) and based on Bernhard Schlink’s semi-autobiographical novel, the film takes a penetrating look at guilt and innocence in Germany in the wake of the Holocaust. What author Hannah Arendt […]
It's Groundhog Day
Celebrate Groundhog Day with Bill Murray Another year, another appearance by the world’s most famous groundhog. Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow this morning, which means six more weeks of winter for the frozen folks in the Midwest and East. (Here on the West Coast, of course, we’re still enjoying sunshine and blue skies.) Phil made […]
She Likes to Watch 