Let's Talk about the Weather (2006 Feb 13)

After what happened after my previous column (the one about Michael Moore), I decided to write about something nice and safe... like the weather. Unfortunately, after this weekend, there's nothing nice or safe about the weather. Normally, I like ...

The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth (2006 Feb 04)

Yes, I expect some hate mail from this...Orignally, I was going to write something about James Frey and his fact-or-fiction "memoir," A Million Little Pieces. However, not having read the book, I realized I didn't have much of intelligence to add to...

Obligatory Oscar Nominations Commentary (2006 Jan 31)

Since I'm a film critic, I'm duty bound to write something about the Oscar nominations. I'm not going to go through them one-by-one as if I'm working my way down a shopping list. As long-time readers are aware, few things bore me more than the ...

What Happens in Park City Stays in Park City (2006 Jan 29)

It has taken several years away from the Sundance Film Festival to give me a perspective that I didn't have when I was attending annually. After four consecutive, frustrating Januarys spent in Park City, I stopped going after air travel became ...

Touching the Face of God (2006 Jan 28)

Two days ago, I wrote about a tenth anniversary. Today, I'll turn the clock back another decade.In my life, there have been two nationally seismic events - world-wide news stories that have been given constant television coverage and that have ...

What's in a Decade? (2006 Jan 26)

Time is a strange thing, as many have remarked. Days (especially those spent on trans-Pacific flights) can seem to take forever, while ten years can pass in the blink of an eye. These days, the average American may have about eight decades of life...

Is it over Yet? (2006 Jan 19)

As I get older, I get crankier. I wonder what I'll be like if I live to be 70. Not that long ago, I could sit through a three or four hour movie without a word of protest. Thinking back, I don't remember having trouble with films like Gettysburg, ...

The January Thaw (2006 Jan 16)

Once upon a time, during my mis-spent years in high school, I was an avid television watcher. These days (not counting news and sports), I stay awake for about three to four hours of television per week. (I have a habit of lying down on the sofa to...

Kong-sternation (2006 Jan 12)

If you listen to the mainstream media, Peter Jackson's King Kong is a failure - a box office dud that has underperformed since it opened a week before Christmas. The reality, as is sometimes the case, is less dire. Kong is performing respectably. ...

Coming Down from the Mountain (2006 Jan 07)

Brokeback Mountain is going to win the Best Picture Oscar. This is a bigger lock than Titanic or The Return of the King. It's pointless to ask whether it deserves the recognition - that's not what Oscar victories (or nominations, for that matter) ...

Meet the Host (2006 Jan 06)

Last year, Chris Rock. This year, Jon Stewart. Next year, who knows? (I'm still hoping for John Cleese.) There's prestige in hosting the Oscars, that's for sure. But once you've done it once, what's the incentive to return? For a while, the ...

Winter Changes (2006 Jan 04)

Every January/February, I make alterations to ReelViews. Some are small, almost unnoticeable except to the obsessive reader. Others are big, and will catch the attention of someone who visits infrequently. Those hoping for a massive site re-design ...