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...

For Real? (2004 Feb 09)

To date, the best movie I have seen this year is Touching the Void. Many critics are mistakenly referring to this as a documentary, but, based on the rules of factual filmmaking, it's not. More than 50% of what's on screen is an impressive re-...

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. ...

A Reversal/Groundhog Day (2004 Feb 02)

Those of you who have stopped by this page before may notice a few changes as of the beginning of February. In addition to the pull-down menu bar (the first step in archiving "ReelThoughts" topics), I have "reversed" the text/background color ...

Miracle/Box Office Brawl (2004 Jan 31)

Disney's Miracle doesn't arrive in theaters until next weekend, and I won't be posting my review until tomorrow or Monday, but, as often happens when there's a national sneak preview (as there is tonight), I get requests from curious movie-goers ...

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 ...

Happy Birthday/Globe Trotting/Oscar Predictions (2004 Jan 26)

Today, January 26, 2004, represents the eighth anniversary of ReelViews. In real-world terms, that may not be very many years, but in terms of the Internet (and especially the younger World Wide Web), it's a solid age. (Think of Internet years like...

Snow Globes/Linkage (2004 Jan 24)

I hadn't planned to write anything about the Golden Globes (sounds like it should be the name of a porn awards ceremony), since I have such a low opinion of awards shows in general, and this one in particular. (It's a small step up from the People's ...

Ben and Jen - Does Anyone Care? (2004 Jan 23)

So apparently it's over, and does anyone really care? From the beginning, I never understood why this relationship was such a big deal, and why the media circled these two like they were worth front page gossip column coverage. Yes, they courted ...

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, ...

Resolution: Pictures or No Pictures (2004 Jan 19)

Recently, after assembling eight or nine reviews with pictures (five of which have been posted to date), I came to a decision about how to proceed. The ultimate vote was roughly split, with a slight majority of 5% urging me to retain the pictures. ...

Ode to Sundance/Nimoy & Shatner - Together Again (2004 Jan 16)

For four years, from 1998 through 2001, I was a regular attendee at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. My sojourns began in 1998 (less than six months after I first went to the Toronto Film Festival), when I was starting to explore the ...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

Roger Ebert's THE GREAT MOVIES (2004 Jan 08)

There's something daring - almost pompous - about calling a book The Great Movies, but that's precisely what Roger Ebert has done. Originally released in hardback during 2002, the volume (which is a compilation of retrospective reviews previously ...

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 ...