Redbox Review: The New Stupid

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 Posted in DVD Reviews | 5 Comments »

It's accepted American wisdom now that smart people are not to be trusted. Thus our presidential candidates sprinkle the occasional "ain't" when speaking to the little people, and strive to project the image of someone who did not spend his ...

The Unbearable Lightness of Binoche

Sunday, August 17th, 2008 Posted in DVD Reviews | 4 Comments »

I confess that I'm not a French movie buff. I've never seen La Veuve de Saint-Pierre or Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge. I never bothered with The English Patient, for that matter, or Chocolat. For all I know, Juliette Binoche ...

Redbox Review: Half-Cocked

Monday, July 28th, 2008 Posted in DVD Reviews | 1 Comment »

I don't know what film-school genius is teaching his students to use handheld cameras in lieu of stationary shots, but once the dizziness fades I'm going to track him down and beat him to death with his seldom-used tripod. The ...

Redbox Review: Anti-Morality Play

Thursday, July 24th, 2008 Posted in DVD Reviews | 3 Comments »

The opposition that fussy Christians voice toward Juno seems to boil down to the fact that it is filled with sinful people who live, think, and speak like sinners. Then again, this used to be true of the Church, at ...

Redbox Review: Disadvantaged

Friday, July 18th, 2008 Posted in DVD Reviews | 2 Comments »

The mistake people make about modernism is thinking it's old-fashioned. Thus a movie like Vantage Point comes along, built around the premise that it will be clever to show the same events through several characters' eyes, and people call it ...

Not Happening

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 Posted in DVD Reviews | 3 Comments »

Wife and I saw M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening last night, which when you factor in the price of gas and babysitting and popcorn, makes us more investors in Shyamalan's flick than viewers. Without giving anything away, I can tell ...

Munich

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 Posted in DVD Reviews | No Comments »

I watched it tonight, and 90 minutes in, I realized I've already seen it, when it was called "Sword of Gideon". They're both based on the same book, but then I found this article, which notes that Spielberg appears to ...

Amazing Grace

Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 Posted in DVD Reviews | 1 Comment »

The wife and I had a date last night, and took the opportunity to see "Amazing Grace." It is a lovely movie, and in the spirit of supporting good work about things that matter, I urge you to see it, ...

Pride, Prejudice, and Girliness

Saturday, June 17th, 2006 Posted in DVD Reviews | 15 Comments »

We watched the 2005 version of "Pride and Prejudice" last night. I think I've mentioned my inadequate (read: typical) government-school education before; it should come as no surprise that I've never read the book. I had no inkling, therefore, what ...

I Am Going to Hell

Thursday, December 29th, 2005 Posted in DVD Reviews | 26 Comments »

Something I've come to believe is that the only people who have never wondered about their salvation are those on the express train straight to damnation. And many of them go to church. As Graham Greene's whiskey priest wondered, can ...

Return of the Movie Review

Thursday, June 30th, 2005 Posted in DVD Reviews | 9 Comments »

Warning If you've never read The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells, or just can't remember how it ends, and you plan to see the movie (my advice: donate the $15 ticket plus $875.43 for concessions to charity and ...

On the Virtues of Hating Blockbuster

Thursday, May 19th, 2005 Posted in DVD Reviews | 19 Comments »

I know what some of you are thinking. He's lost his edge. You remember with fondness the days when I would bring the everloving smack to McDonald's for faulty pickle placement, or rain down barbs on smug, intolerant, self-anointed judges ...

Witness and False Witness

Monday, November 25th, 2002 Posted in DVD Reviews, Greatest Hits | 7 Comments »

I used to have a dentist, by the name of (I am not making this up) Dr. Payne. He was an entertainer, as are many dentists, perhaps because the field is less regulated (i.e., the competition is more intense). During ...

Spiderman Bites: A Disquisition

Thursday, June 13th, 2002 Posted in DVD Reviews, Irritations | 12 Comments »

I'm disturbed by the defense of "Spiderman," in response to my last post, by otherwise intelligent people. A common theme, expressed kindly by most, goes something like: "hey, it's Spiderman for crying out loud; it's supposed to be mindless entertainment." Unfortunately, ...

Spiderman Bites

Tuesday, June 11th, 2002 Posted in DVD Reviews, Irritations | 17 Comments »

A little note for those of you who recommended "Spiderman." You know who you are. Please stand up. Place both hands behind your head. Now, slam it as hard as you can onto your desk. Repeat. Repeat. And, repeat. That's what you've got coming ...