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Worms and Viruses (2004 Jan 27)

Just a quick note for anyone who may be sending me an e-mail in the near future (or has recently sent one). As a result of the latest virus, my mailbox is being flooded with hundreds of infected e-mails. Although my anti-virus software keeps my ...

Why It's Still Necessary to Go to Theaters (Sometimes) (2004 Jan 12)

When I line up the pros and cons of getting in my car and driving to a theater, I occasionally ask myself why I bother. The main reason (aside from my being a film critic, which, admittedly, is a huge factor) is impatience. And I'm not the only one...

Whither ReelThoughts? (2004 May 30)

I have received a number of e-mails inquiring whether I have given up on ReelThoughts. The answer is "no," but, in terms of priorities, this column doesn't occupy a high space. With respect to the site, it's in third place, behind reviews of new ...

When Good Ideas Go Bad/Pirates of the Cinema - Introduction (2004 Feb 12)

Based on reports that I have heard, today is the day when the latest computer virus will expire (or maybe not). This will be a great relief to my e-mail "in" box, which has been overflowing for the better part of two weeks. (If you sent an e-mail to...

What Is ReelThoughts? (2004 Jan 05)

This is the newest feature offered by this website, and it has a couple of purposes. First of all, it will allow me to have a more open and immediate dialogue with readers. It will also permit me to address any issues that pop to mind without ...

Two Kinds of Censorship (2004 May 12)

So the real question is: Is Michael Moore being censored? Is Disney's refusal to allow Miramax to distribute his Farenheit 9/11 a business decision or a politically motivated attempt to stamp out criticism of the Bush administration? The real ...

Twinkle, Twinkle (2004 Jan 21)

There are pros and cons to using a movie rating system. At various times during the dozen years I have been reviewing movies, I have considered dropping it and going the New York Times route. After all, I want people to read my opinion of a movie, ...

TV Thoughts (2004 Apr 15)

There's a reason I don't review television shows - because I don't watch much TV. Part of it has to do with time constraints. I spend enough time sitting in movie theaters, traveling to and fro, and writing reviews that taking an hour off here and ...

Thoughts of Passion/Smith the Hypocrite (2004 Mar 06)

When it comes to The Passion of the Christ's box office performance, I was right and I was wrong. I correctly predicted that it would capture at least $100 million in its first 5 days, but missed when I said that repeat business was unlikely (too ...

The Seemingly Daily Picture Update (2004 Jan 07)

I have now logged more than 200 votes in the "picture/no picture" tally, and the current results are within 5 of being an even split. Both sides have presented some compelling arguments. Thankfully, no one has threatened to boycott the site if I ...

The Review that Almost Wasn't (2004 Oct 26)

In each of the past few years, I have seen about 200 movies theatrically (with another 100+ per annum on DVD). Of these, I typically review about 150. (Last year, it was 171.) However, although the 75% "review rate" might be considered aggressive, ...

The Phantom Defense (2004 Jun 22)

It has become fashionable over the last five years to bash all things related to George Lucas in general, and The Phantom Menace in particular. Let me be the first to say that Lucas deserves a fair amount of criticism. He's not what one might call ...

The Nipple That Won't Go Away (2004 Feb 08)

One week after the Superbowl, the insane controversy about Janet Jackson's right breast is still going strong. Since I last wrote about this subject (Monday 2/2), I have had a little time to reflect on it, and my incredulity has only grown. ...

The Last Month (2004 Nov 24)

Gripe time again... I like writing these downbeat little pieces - they help to get something off my chest.It appears that 2004 is about to conclude with more of a whimper than a bang. I have never been so unenthused about a December release ...

The Colors of 2004: Red, Blue, and Green (2004 Dec 31)

From my perspective, 2004 was the most lackluster movie year since I started reviewing. There were plenty of good, entertaining films out there on both the blockbuster end and the indie end of things, but instances of greatness were rare. For the ...

The Case for Theater Viewing (2004 Jan 09)

This represents the first of three parts of an essay I'm writing to discuss the pros and cons of watching a movie in a theater versus watching it on home video. With the advent of excellent home surround sound systems and bigger widescreen TVs, the ...

The Case Against Theater Viewing (2004 Jan 10)

There are really two separate problems with seeing movies in theaters. The first has to do with the setting; the second has to do with other patrons. Many theaters have extremely poor quality control. They do not properly calibrate their sound ...