|
|
Anhoni Patel Managing Editor Besides being Managing Editor of SF Station, Anhoni Patel writes fiction and reviews. She is the author of "All Good Things Die in L.A." and is currently at work on her second novel. Her many passions include movies, food and books. But not necessarily in that order. |
|
|
 | Escapists Fantasies that Entertain Summer movies are all about escapism, about entering into a world in which anything is possible and which most things which would never ever make sense in the "real" world are perfectly plausible for an hour and a half. Movies based on comics are the crème de la crème of the reality-defying genre. The [i]Fantastic Four[/i] has officially joined their venerable ranks.More |  | Couples Therapy Like its title, [i]Mr. and Mrs. Smith[/i] is a creature with dual personalities. The mister is full of action, macho dialogue, T&A, and big explosions while the missus is full of funny lines, romantic moments, relationship discussions and couples therapy. Unfortunately, there is too much of one and too little of the other.More |  | The Power of a Good Pair of Jeans Best friends are forever. At last until you all go off to college and forget about each other. In Ken Kwapis' adaptation of author Ann Brashares novel [i]The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants[/i], the protagonists are four sixteen-year olds in the apex of their friendship, which they dub "the sisterhood" on the eve of a summer during which they all head off into different directions with only one thing in common binding them together -- a pair of jeans with mystical, magical qualities.More |  | Which One of These Isn't Like All the Others? Someone in Tinseltown must have made a mistake. They seem to have mis-scheduled the opening date for director Ron Howard's [i]Cinderella Man[/i], a movie clearly meant to open during the holiday season. You know what kind of movie I'm talking about -- the kind that lifts your spirits and shows you that sometimes the good guy actually wins. This movie has lots of autumnal tones, a serious side and even snow. Nothing blows up in it and I'm pretty sure there's not one lick of CGI, so what is it doing in the theaters alongside Disney cartoons and action-packed blockbusters?More |  | A Far Way to Go In "The Longest Yard", a remake of the 1974 original, former NFL player Paul 'Wrecking' Crewe (Adam Sandler) is not happy with his life. He's considered one's of the world's biggest jerks for shaving off points in a game (which costs him his career) and is treated like a chump by his controlling, bee-atch of a girlfriend (Courteney Cox in a small role). So he goes over the edge, does a little drunk driving and ends up in the locker. In Texas.More |  | The End of the Beginning Pop cultural crazes come and go. Most people of a certain age, excluding VH1 commentators with weirdly eidetic memories, don't remember what they were doing in 1977 much less that year's biggest movies (hint, they include: "Saturday Night Fever", "Annie Hall" & "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"). "Stars Wars" came out nearly thirty years ago and fans today, ranging from middle-aged men (who could recite every line from "Empire Strikes Back" verbatim) and college students to kids whose parents hadn't yet met in 1977, are still mesmerized.More |  | The Jane Fonda Workout Comeback movies are like the first day of school. It is that rare opportunity when one can completely reinvent oneself. The past seems to be erased, the braces are off, chubby pockets are all smoothed out, and all is fresh and new. Jane Fonda is fabulous in, what seems to be her comeback movie, "Monster-in-Law".More |  | A Kick In The Head This movie is like some kind of mythological creature: part fairly amusing adult comedy, part unapologetically silly children's flick. "Kicking and Screaming" is a two-headed beast that needs to be slaughtered in half. Will Farrell's comedic antics are one thing, but paired with saccharine speeches, a gaggle of ten-year old boys and Mike Ditka, it turns into something else altogether.More |  | A Harbinger of Good Things To Come It has begun. Summer blockbuster season is here and, like the groundhog, the first movie to open is always a litmus test for what to expect the next couple of months. "Kingdom of Heaven", while far from being the best movie of the year, is an encouraging starting off point and hopefully a harbinger of good things to come.More |  | An Interracial Meet the Parents Ashton Kutcher is a far cry from Sidney Poitier. And Bernie Mac is, well, not exactly Spencer Tracy. This updated (with a twist, of course) remake of the 1967 classic "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" is more "Meet The Parents" (read: old and played out) than anything else; there's a lot less class and a lot more hijinks.More |
|
