Search for Brian

Into the Storm is as straightforward a disaster film as you're likely to find. It has all the characteristics of the genre. The narrative trajectory is linear and uncomplicated. The two-dimensional characters are entrenched in their own flimsy, soa...

In the wake of the massive and massively successful The Avengers, Iron Man 3 wisely doesn't attempt to outdo its immediate superhero predecessor when it comes to big-time action, pyrotechnics, and special effects. Instead, it opts for something a l...

A well-known saying goes something like, "In for a penny, in for a pound," and that seems to be an appropriate way to begin a discussion of John Maybury's The Jacket. A moody psychological thriller tinged with science fiction elements, The Jacket ...

Jingle All the Way represents Arnold Schwarzenegger's fourth attempt at a "straight" comedy (I'm not counting Last Action Hero or True Lies, which were highly action-oriented), and, like the others that came before it, this movie isn't all that fun...

John Dies at the End is problematical. It's an attempt by director Don Coscarelli to adapt a book that has a fanatical following but has often been described as "unfilmable." The end result has garnered mixed reactions from those who love David Won...

Crooked cops. The mystery and allure of Hollywood in the '50s. Death, double-crossing, and secret alliances. Paparazzi waiting to get that one breakthrough picture. These are just some of the elements that make Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confiden...

The premise of Law Abiding Citizen - angry father seeks revenge on the system when his daughter's murderer gets off with a light sentence - probably sounded great in the pitch meetings but, as with all high concept motion pictures, the devil's in t...

For writer/director Brian Helgeland (Payback), Legend represents a visit to Scorsese territory; sadly, the result falls far short of the visceral experiences we typically are accorded by the legendary Oscar winner. Granted, it’s a tall order to...