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Movies
From Japan, a New Breed of Vampire Slayer Rises
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Watching the opening credit card of Blood: The Last Vampire, I couldn’t help but smile. Japan, we are told, has been overtaken by demons masked in human form, and there is but one warrior alive capable of defeating their leader, the evil Onigen. She is Saya, daughter of the legendary vampire slayer Kiyomasa, and she is humanity’s last best hope for survival. More
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Movies
Bombs Over Iraq
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Some say it may be too soon to tackle the ongoing Iraq War. However, there’s definitely a place for reflection of a situation that is still underway. Not surprisingly, The Hurt Locker doesn’t tackle an overview of the war but focuses on a select group of soldiers. No context is given and no overarching themes are visited, making the war more of a backdrop than the concentration of the film. And while that’s a relief, the film moves with an obvious undercurrent of meaning and message. Unfortunately, it never feels as clear as the film obviously wants it to be. More
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Movies
Declarations of High School Love
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Teen comedies about a nerd lusting after the popular girl/guy are nothing new. John Hughes solidified the genre in the 80s and, in recent years, Judd Apatow adapted the stories for an older generation. So with an easily guessable plot and character arch, where does that leave I Love You, Beth Cooper? While it’s far from a masterpiece of the genre, it’s a welcome, original addition that is sure to be a late night TV staple in years to come. More
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Movies
Vassup!
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars.
In 2006, moviegoers were introduced to the comedic genius of Sacha Baron Cohen with the release of Borat (or more formally, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan). Given the success of this film, it’s no surprise that Cohen drew upon another character from his popular HBO series "Da Ali G Show", to spawn another equally offensive and risky yet brilliant comedy in Brüno. More
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Movies
Killers on the Road
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Let the debate rage on. There are those who will argue, without any serious objection from me, that Jennifer Lynch’s Surveillance is a sadistic bit of pulp fiction that turns on a third-act twist almost too fantastical to stomach. And there are those who will laud it as a taut, twisted crime procedural that veers into some seriously dark territory for a finale that stays with you long after the lights have gone up. More
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Movies
The End of a Franchise
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third film in the Ice Age franchise that began seven years ago is, despite the success of its predecessors, a bland and unengaging film that would be forgettable if not for the 3D that’s become the standard for family-oriented animated films. With 3D added into the mix, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs may be watchable, but the dearth of original ideas puts the movie at the back of the animated pack. More
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Movies
Gangsters Used to Be So Loveable
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Public Enemies is one of those rare summer flicks that can satisfy the audience’s need for cheap action and thrills while also delivering a quality film. Michael Mann (Collateral, Heat) crafts a depression-era gangster film that is original in its presentation and offers a top-tier cast. More
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Movies
Unrequited, Victorian Love
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Chéri is successful not necessarily in its execution or storytelling, but in the actors that adorn the screen. Stephen Frear’s (High Fidelity, The Queen) latest is definitely not the defining film of his career, but he does flex his muscles as a filmmaker and illustrates his abilities to draw out astounding performances from his actors. The film, which was adapted for the screen by Christopher Hampton (Atonement) from a Colette novel, meanders through the story of an unrequited May-December love affair during the beautiful Paris of the 1920s. More
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Movies
Another Allen Misfire
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
If Whatever Works, the latest film from prolific filmmaker Woody Allen, is any indication, it’s time for the well-past-his-prime Allen to take a respite from filmmaking, perhaps even a permanent one. A stale, tired rehash of ideas and themes that first appeared thirty years ago and have since been recycled repeatedly, but with Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Seinfeld") taking over as the neurotic misanthrope moviegoers are expected to love, Whatever Works is, sadly a minor work from a filmmaker fading quickly into the twilight of his career. More
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Movies
Family Drama (and Trauma)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
When a bestselling novel makes the jump from the printed page to the big screen, fans inevitably compare the adaptation to the source material, often finding fault in the adaptation for a lack of faithfulness or fidelity to the novel. Sometimes, however, filmmakers err in the opposite direction, in sticking so closely to what they perceive are the novel’s unique qualities that they forgot that narrative techniques that work on the page often don’t work in a primarily visual medium like film. More
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