Search for State

When The Sure Thing was released in 1985, it was out of step with the times. Teen comedies in those years were saturated with sex and broad humor. Romance and realism (even to a modest degree) were undesirable relics of a bygone era. Nevertheles...

By now, I'm tired of penguins. After Madagascar, March of the Penguins, and Happy Feet, it's time to move on to some new species of beast or fowl. Yet I must admit that of the four recent penguin-centered movies, Surf's Up is the most entertaining...

Surrogates was not pre-screened for critics. Most of the time, I understand when a studio takes this route - it's a way to avoid undue negative publicity before the release of a movie that is recognized behind-the-scenes as being a turd. Once in ...

For a 20 year period, from the release of Day of the Dead in 1985 to the opening of Land of the Dead in 2005, George A. Romero was off doing other things. Since then, however, this one-time horror innovator has become a one-trick pony. Admittedly...

If I wanted to be kind, I’d call Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake “visually striking” and “stylish.” If I wanted to be brutally honest, I’d call it “tedious”, “pretentious”, and even “painful” (although not in a good ...

Every December, one of the major studios brings us a musical - something to lighten the spirits and brighten the holidays. This year, in the proud tradition of Chicago and Dreamgirls, we have Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. With T...

Note to readers: this review contains spoilers. While I do not believe that the revelation of certain plot points will damage the overall viewing experience, those who wish to see Sweet November without having previous knowledge of key elements wo...

Sweet Virginia is an odd title for a movie set in Alaska. An early version of this moody, atmospheric neo-noir thriller was located in the Appalachian Mountains; however, when director Jamie M. Dagg came on board, he moved the setting far to t...

The word that best describes Guy Ritchie's version of Swept Away is "unfortunate." The word that best describes Madonna's attempt to play Amber Leighton is "unfortunate." The word that best describes my decision to see this movie is "unfortun...

Hamburg. Nazi Germany. 1939. Peter (Robert Sean Leonard), Thomas (Christian Bale), and Arvid (Frank Whaley) are three "Swing Kids" -- young rebel Germans who have fallen in love with the forbidden: American movies, British fashion, and Swing musi...