A couple of minor notes for today...First, to clear something up, the October 1 "ReelThought" was not intended to be a jab at Roger Ebert. It was a jab at Flightplan, which I believe to possess a plot that is too absurd for even the most blasé ...
The first Monday in April is Baseball's Opening Day. Once upon a time (as in a fairy tale), this was a day of renewal and rejoicing, of green grass and warm breezes whispering promises of the summer to come. It was a day when every team was in ...
As there are "guilty pleasures," so too are there "overrated standouts." (I was going to refer to these as "overrated masterpieces" but that description narrowed the field too much.) These are movies that, despite being generally recognized as great...
After spending some time wandering through the malls and markets of Manila, I have come to the conclusion that the MPAA faces a huge battle in curtailing piracy in Asia (the portion of the world where it is most prevalent). With a challenge so great...
I think this is May 26th. After spending 26 hours on planes and sitting in airports, and crossing the International Date Line going in the wrong (or is that right) direction, it's tough to be sure. So I'm writing this at about 8:00 at night which ...
Three of the movies I saw on planes during my marathon 44-hours in the air during the last week of May have now reached U.S. theaters. One of the benefits of flying Singapore Air is that each passenger has his/her own personal entertainment center, ...
Based on limited reader response, it seems that a majority enjoyed reading The Price of Magic more than The Price of the Crown. That's okay, although I'll admit to having had more fun writing the first book than the second. The style of Magic may ...
I can sum up my reaction to last night's Oscar telecast with one short phrase: a good start. With a running time that barely topped three hours, producers are on their way to trimming down the most obese of all awards shows. I'm not sure that I ...
Spoilers follow...This may be written for only a couple of hundred people, but for those of you who hung in there for all 36 days (actually 35, since I posted the final two chapters at the same time), here are some of my thoughts on the book I wrote ...
When it comes to film critics, I'm probably in the minority when I say that I find the Academy Awards to be a snooze-fest. This year, instead of doing a "live" commentary, I will curl up on my couch with a good book and glance at the TV every time ...
From my review of Aeon Flux: "I'll never understand why studios sometimes choose to withhold films from critics. The lack of advance screenings of Aeon Flux establishes an expectation that the film is likely to be tough to sit through. It's the ...
At long last, December is upon us (or close enough so it doesn't matter). This one month - 31 days long - is the critic's reward for enduring the other 11. I like to think of the movies released during the Holiday season as presents. The majority ...
Attentive readers will note that I originally had scheduled a review of Rent to be available yesterday, with the review of The Ice Harvest coming over the weekend. It didn't work out that way. From the beginning, since there was a screening ...
As a critic, sometimes I think it's good idea to take off the month of August. The dog days, indeed. What can one say when the biggest cinematic event of the month is the release of The Dukes of Hazzard? Hollywood's cannibalization of their small-...
Given that Revenge of the Sith opens today, I'm sure some readers are expecting me to write about it. Sorry, but I'm all Star Wars-ed out. I think I have said just about everything I have to say about it. Some of you think I have said a little too...
And now for a word from our sponsor...Since I don't accept advertising, that would be me. Pardon this shameless column of self-promotion, but I want to let those who care know that my second book, ReelViews 2 is available for purchase. It's the ...
It started in relative anonymity 39 years ago. It will end today in a similar state. How many people know that Star Trek is taking its last bow this evening as the most recent Trek series, "Enterprise," shuts down its warp engines? All things ...