Movie Clips

Blog Closing

2006-03-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

This blog has been closed. The content will continue to be posted on the Pop Culture blog. Please change your Favorites.

We're combining the blogs into one -- easier for us to maintain, fewer clicks for you.

MOVIE REVIEW: Match Point

2006-03-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Overview: At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for a femme-fatal type who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law. A love triangle ensues and luck will decide the outcome, but not before some unexpected events.

The first thing you have to do is forget that this is a Woody Allen movie because this is nothing at all like anything he’s ever done before. Mr. Allen, who wrote and directed this movie, delivers a story so well developed and so tight, a casting crew that is excellent (Scarlett Johansson is perfectly cast in the role of Nola), and a slow, enticing pace that makes this film virtually flawless.

From its depiction of upper class England life styles with imposing homes, to the utter sex appeal of Nola, and the ambition of Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the movie slowly but surely takes you in a direction that at first is expected but then veers into surprise. The last third of the movie is as interesting and as unexpected as I have seen in quite a while. And then, when the movie is over, you will realize why Woody Allen is so well regarded – this is the kind of excellent work he’s capable of.

Priceless Scene: You have to see the movie to understand this, but when the wedding band is thrown in the air and… I’ll say no more. That is movie making at its best.

Tags: movie, review, woody, allen, match, point

MOVIE REVIEW: Dave Chappelle's Block Party

2006-03-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Overview: Dave Chappelle's Block Party spotlights comedy superstar Dave Chappelle as he presents a Brooklyn neighborhood with its very own once-in-a-lifetime free block party.

There’s a reason why there aren’t that many concert movies: there are no advantages to showing them on the big screen. This movie is no exception. There is nothing especially funny, touching, surprising, or new about this movie. On the balance, this movie was a disappointment. Dave’s comedy is limited, and unless the music by itself moves you, there’s not much else to enjoy. Wait for the rental.

Many opportunities for more humor were missed. In particular, Dave’s visit to a school should yield many funny lines with the little kids (aren’t kids always funny?) but even here that visit was limited to one funny line.

Priceless Scene: Lauryn Hill and the Fugees reunion when they do Killing me Softly was especially nice.

Tags: movie, review, dave, chappelle, fugees, block, party

MOVIE REVIEW: The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

2006-03-04T00:33:00.000-05:00

Overview: A man is shot and quickly buried in the high desert of west Texas. The body is found and reburied in Van Horn's town cemetery. Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones), a local ranch foreman, kidnaps a Border Patrolman (Barry Pepper) and forces him to disinter the body. With his captive in tow and the body tied to a mule, Pete undertakes a dangerous and quixotic journey into Mexico

Quite an overview, hein? Well, let me tell you right away, this is not a movie for everyone. It’s slow moving, has many quirky characters and odd scenes, at times is told out of sequence, it heads in directions you don’t expect, and you aren’t sure it’s making sense as it goes along. If these are turn-offs, avoid this movie. If that’s your cup of tea, this is an interesting ride and very much worth seeing on the big screen.

Tommy Lee Jones stars and directs this movie. He dominates every scene he’s in but gives Barry Pepper an excellent role as a Border Patrolman that did something that Tommy Lee wants to make sure he pays for. The movie is slow getting off the ground, but the journey that leads to the last of the three burials is captivating and excellent movie making. It introduces characters and situations that even if they don’t add up to greatness, make this movie immensely intriguing.

Priceless Scene: This may be Barry Pepper’s best role to date. His moment of forgiveness gives him a great chance at a juicy scene and he’s all over it. His acting is solid during the whole movie but this scene at the end of the movie is the cherry on top.

MOVIE REVIEW: Pride and Prejudice

2006-03-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Overview: The story is based on Jane Austen's novel about five sisters - Jane, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), Mary, Kitty and Lydia Bennet - in Georgian England. Their lives are turned upside down when a wealthy young man (Mr. Bingley) and his best friend (Mr. Darcy) arrive in their neighborhood.

Put simply: a chick flick in every sense of the term. For those who like the genre, or for those who are willing to forgive what they generally dislike about it, this is a wonderful film. Beautifully shot, clever, funny, entertaining, very well acted (even if the Oscar nomination for Keira Knightley seems a bit overdone), and… well… with the usually sprinkles of fantasy that make the genre loved by some and disliked by others.

I saw it in a theater full of females. They found humor and were gasping at passages that just made me roll my eyes. But that’s OK, the movie knows it’s target audience, and for them, it delivers the goods. At the end of the movie, a man accompanying a woman just looked at me and shook his head. I reciprocated as his female mate was chatting away with other woman about how wonderful the movie was. He and I didn’t need words – the Exit sign was our reward.

Priceless Scene: When Elizabeth’s mother wants her to marry someone and she refuses, the subsequent brief conversation between Elizabeth and her father (the always excellent Donald Sutherland), by the brook, with her mother in the background, shows the quiet confidence of a man often overshadowed by a demanding wife and 5 daughters. Mr. Sutherland makes it look so easy.

IN THE NEWS: Are you ready for Blu-ray?

2006-03-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Pocket-Lint reports:

28 February 2006 - Hollywood Studios including Sony Pictures and Liongate have announced the launch date for Blu-ray movies in America to coincide with the launch of the first player from Samsung. Both Lionsgate and Sony Pictures have said that they will make a number of Blu-ray discs available on the 23 May 2006... Getting High Definition in your house isn’t going to be cheap however. Samsung’s first player – the BD-1000 is expected to cost $1000, however it will come with HDMI output as standard and backwards compatibility with most of today's standard DVD formats.

For details about what Blu-ray is, check this article.

MOVIE REVIEW: Walk the Line

2006-02-28T00:08:00.000-05:00

Overview: A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

You don’t have to like Johnny’s music to appreciate this movie, but it helps. The main reasons for going to see this movie are Joaquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon. Both are Oscar nominated to leading acting roles in their categories, and rightly so. But besides that, this is a well-made movie that moves at a good pace and keeps us interested.

Too much like Ray (similar childhood experiences, exposure to different music, drugs, affairs, etc.) this movie might suffer by comparison, but only if you let it. Just enjoy this story, the acting, the music, and you’ll have a good time at the movies.

Priceless Scene: Johnny’s entrance into the Folsom prison concert. The build up to it is perfect and for those of us who know how big that album became, we can feel the impact and understand why it became Johnny’s trademark.

DVD NEWS: All the President's Men

2006-02-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Warner Bros. just issued a new, special-edition version of "All the President's Men," available on DVD, with many new features. Read the full review here:

The updated two-disc DVD delivers a sharper version of the film -- allowing a new generation to watch Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford banging on typewriters and traveling door-to-door to interview sources, long before computers or e-mail. For the first time, "Men" also comes with several quality extra features that place the issues raised by the film -- about both journalism and politics -- in contemporary context. "If Watergate happened today, for several reasons, it probably wouldn't be exposed," says Newsweek Senior Editor Jonathan Alter, one of several journalists interviewed during several featurettes, "which is kind of scary."

An excellent film to begin with, this DVD seems to make it that much more worthwhile.

MOVIE REVIEW: Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

2006-02-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

Overview: To improve its relations with Muslim countries, the United States government sends comedian Albert Brooks to south Asia to write a report on what makes followers of Islam laugh.

Let me summarize my opinion in one word: utter disappointment. OK, make it two words. I don’t know how an accomplished comedian/actor/director like Albert Brooks could have come up with a comedy so devoid of comedy. Scene after scene, just when you think the movie is going to deliver some laughs, it just doesn’t happen. There are a few good gags but they are too few and far in between.

I’m sure that on paper this movie sounded like a good idea. I don’t know where Albert went wrong. Maybe he didn’t have enough help with the script or maybe he ran out of money, but the movie, besides the lack of funny material, also comes across as unfinished, with several plot lines that lead nowhere. Most scenes were shot as if they were on a shoestring budget or done as an after-thought.

Priceless Scene: OK, this is a stretch to call it a scene, but when Senator Thompson, playing himself, asks Albert Brooks to go to the Muslim world to find what makes them laugh, because “as you know, this president has a good sense of humor”, the look on Albert Brook’s face is priceless, even if it lasts only 2 seconds.

Tags: movie, review, comedy, muslim, world, brooks

COMMENT: NY Times "Date Movie" Review

2006-02-18T17:19:00.000-05:00

In this New York Times review of "Date Movie", the reviewer Anita Gates, after explaining she saw the movie with a group of adolescents in the theater, has this observation about the movie:

The film has a nascent sense of the absurd but doesn't know what to do with it. And some of the references are to films ("Pretty Woman," "Sleepless in Seattle") made when the target audience was in diapers. Or in utero.

Has Ms. Gates ever heard of video rentals and movies on cable? Seems to me that most movie going adolescents are very familiar with those movies. Also, it seems common to include humor that adults can relate to in movies targeted to younger crowds because parents often accompany the youngsters to the movies. This practice was believed to be part of the success of the Shrek movies.

Tags: movie, review, shrek

MOVIE REVIEW: The Matador

2006-02-16T03:01:00.000-05:00

Overview: A chance encounter between a salesman and a lonely hitman triggers a strange relationship that provokes each to act in ways neither would have imagined possible. Fate steps in to form a friendship between two men from irreconcilable worlds that will alter the lives of both forever.

This black comedy is one of the funniest movies in a while. Pierce Brosnan is excellent in this role, his best performance ever. From his haircut, to his clothing, speech, and mannerism, Mr. Brosnan clearly understands what it takes to make a movie like this work. Greg Kinnear and Hope Davis are also very good. All characters play their roles without straining for laughs, and that helps the movie’s humor.

It may be straining a bit to think that these two different characters would push each other towards the other’s world, even if just a bit. But in the end, it’s not much of a stretch and you’ll enjoy the ride if you simple accept it as possible. Besides, Hope Davis’s character gives us a glimpse into what’s possible when very normal people are paired with abnormal people, even if for a short while. But there are no morals to the story. This is a comedy and the movie never forgets that.

Priceless Scene: When Bean (Hope Davis) meets Julian (Pierce Brosnan) and asks to see his gun. It’s a marvelous moment; the one scene that makes us believe the plot is not that farfetched. And yet another scene for Hope Davis to show that she’s a fine actress who just gets better from movie to movie. On a totally personal note, I loved the bullfighting shots, but I suspect I’m in a small group.

Tags: movie, review, matador, brosnan, pierce

MOVIE REVIEW: A History of Violence

2006-02-13T03:01:00.000-05:00

Overview: When two savage criminals show up at his diner, Tom (Viggo Mortensen) is forced to take action and thwart the robbery attempt. Heralded as a hero, the media attention has mobsters showing up at his doorstep charging that Tom is someone else they've been looking for. Is it a case of mistaken identity or does Tom have a history that no one knows about?

This is flawed movie but the good things about it make it well worth watching. There’s quite a bit of stylized violence, but anyone seeing a picture with this title has to expect that. The violence scenes are well staged and just about everyone involved is a bad guy. Let the blood flow.

Ed Harris is excellent as one gangster that swears Tom really is someone he knows from the past with quite a history. The other supporting role that’s outstanding is William Hurt who plays a truly scary individual and plays him to perfection. Mark my words: this is the Oscar winner in the Actor in a Supporting Role category. William really is remarkable in this role. Viggo proves here why he’s gotten his shot at stardom but why he’s not a major movie star. His performance is good but uneven. Although he is the star of the movie, both Ed Harris and William Hurt dominate all the scenes they’re in.

Priceless Scene: The aggressive sex scene on the stairs between Tom and his wife Edie (Maria Bello). Many people have complained that the scene makes no sense. I disagree! I think it is staged exactly as it should be. Besides the scenes with Ed Harris and William Hurt, this is the money scene.

MOVIE REVIEW: Junebug

2006-02-12T03:08:00.000-05:00

Overview: An art dealer travels from Chicago to North Carolina to meet her new in-laws, challenging the equilibrium of this middle class Southern home.

If you like your movies to move slowly and wonder about introducing quirky characters and never knowing where it's headed, I recommend Junebug. One of the best little movies of 2005, Junebug gives us a great glimpse into the lives of southerners without resorting to stereotypes.

There are many wonderful things about this movie but the best is Amy Adams as Ashley. She's nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and rightly so. She's super and really makes the whole movie work.

Priceless Scene: Every scene with Amy Adams. Of particular note is the basement scene where she tries to motivate her husband.

IN THE NEWS: Affleck and Damon, together again

2006-02-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

After all these years together, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are finally making it legal.

The Oscar-winning Boston buddies will reunite onscreen in an untitled drama inspired by two real-life attorneys, who fight a 15-year battle to free an innocent man on death row, Daily Variety reports.

Affleck will play Michael Banks and Damon, J. Gordon Cooney, two lawyers at a Philadelphia firm who work pro bono on the appeal of John Thompson, who claims he was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

That project is scheduled to start shooting this summer in Boston. No word when Affleck and Damon will roll cameras on the death row story.

Source: here

MOVIE REVIEW: Good Night, and Good Luck

2006-02-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

Movie Overview: “In the early 1950's, the threat of Communism created an air of paranoia in the United States and exploiting those fears was Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. However, CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly decided to take a stand and challenge McCarthy and expose him for the fear monger he was.”

If you don’t like movies that make you think don’t bother seeing this movie. George Clooney’s direction and script (with Grant Heslov) assume that the audience can think for themselves. Shot in black and white, screen filled with the cigarette smoke, and with camera angles that make us feel the pressure that befell the leading protagonists, we get to see why doing the right thing can be so hard, and how being a zealot with power can be so corrupting (um… does it remind you of anyone today?)

Good Night, and Good Luck is a terrific film about one of the scariest periods in American history. It shows how one man with too much power could have turned the US into an ugly place – he did, but only temporarily – and how one man with integrity was able to stop him.

The movie has an excellent cast of very familiar actors, all turning in fine performances. David Strathairn in the lead role deserved the Oscar nomination he received. But the scene-stealer is the villain himself, Senator McCarthy. The actual footage of the Senator is striking and effective and no amount of clever script writing or great acting could have outdone him. Once I saw this footage, my thoughts were: move over Darth Vader.

Priceless Scene: Every scene with Frank Langella as William Paley is priceless.

MOVIE REVIEW: Munich

2006-02-09T03:02:00.000-05:00

Much like Capote, most people know the story behind the events that led to story of Munich. But in this case, it is the events that followed the famous incident that take center stage. While based on true facts, I suspect that most of the specifics are fictional. Nonetheless, it is easy to imagine that something along the lines of the story in the movie really did happen.

The basic plot is simple: after the terrorist attacks at the 1972 Olympics, the Israel secret police finds out who the people involved in the attacks were and sets up a team of specially trained agents to kill each and every single one of them. Along with working on the details of the assassination plans, the characters question the legitimacy of their actions. The movie presents the various side of the argument but in the end, it’s really up to each one of us to decide.

Munich moves along at a very good pace, taking us from place to place, plan to plan, and involving us in the risks they face. The production quality is first rate and the ensemble of actors second to none. This is a smart, mature movie that makes us think and question what’s going on in the world when we mix up “justice” and “revenge”. Maybe one is the same as the other in some cases?

Priceless Scene: The agents setup a bomb in a telephone with the intention of killing the man in the house. But then they realize that the man’s little girl could be the one picking up the phone. That entire sequence is shot beautifully, keeping us on the edge of our seats. Of course, back in the real world we don’t have that concern about killing innocent young children these days with our bombs – we just call them “collateral damage” and go to sleep comfortably. Maybe it’s only in the movies that people care?

MOVIE REVIEW: Capote

2006-02-08T04:01:00.000-05:00

Usually, the less I know about a movie, the better. But that wasn’t the case with Capote. Having an understanding of who he was, how society saw him at the time, and knowing how significant his novel was helped me enjoy this movie even more.

Watching Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver the male performance of the year is, by itself, worth the price of admission. But you get a lot more than that. Seeing how one of the greatest novels of the 20th century came to be makes for an absorbing ride and a rewarding movie experience.

The movie covers Truman Capote’s trip to Kansas to cover the affects of a brutal mass-murder on the locals. His original intention was just to write an article for a magazine. His prying into the case started feeding his imagination and in the process he developed a style for a novel that, although all too common today, was unheard of at the time.

Why was Capote able to deliver this masterpiece? What connected him to the killer? And what made Capote a celebrity and such a darling of many social circuits? The movie explores all these themes and takes us slowly and teasingly into the minds of both a brutal killer and a talented author.

Priceless Scene: When Capote, a man well-known for his conceit and inflated ego, utters the name he has in mind for the new novel, In Cold Blood, the line that follows that, as delivered by Philip, fully conveys the idea that within his world, Capote was supremely confident and assured. Give Mr. Hoffman the Oscar.

MOVIE REVIEW: Something New

2006-02-07T03:01:00.000-05:00

This romantic comedy has Kenya (Sanaa Lathan), a successful professional black woman, reluctantly falling in love with a white man (Simon Baker), something she never thought would happen. The racial tension is central to the story but it never gets too deep into it. It needs that tension for the story to work but the movie is, above all, about romance. And unlike Brokeback Mountain, Something New’s interracial love plot is no longer a story about forbidden love. Ever so slowly we seem to be getting more civilized.

This is a romantic comedy by the numbers, following every typical pattern of the genre. For those that like their movies somewhat sugary, entertaining without being heavy, and to provide 2 hours of pleasant escapism, you’ll like this movie. The sound track is excellent, the people are pretty, and there is enough humor sprinkled throughout the movie to keep you grinning. If you generally like romantic comedies, this one is worth your time, otherwise, move on to… er… something new.

Priceless Scene: There are no remarkable scenes but I want to make special mention of Blair Underwood's performance. He plays the role of the suave, good-looking, successful black man that offers Kenya a perfect alternative. But for the story to work, this character must, on the surface appear perfect, yet exhibit some trait that will turn us off about him. Mister Underwood pulls it brilliantly. I think it’s the slight turn of his head when he talks to people that gives us this sense that there’s something about him that doesn’t quite measure up. I’m not sure if that’s it, but whatever it is, Blair got it right.

HUMOR: Brokeback to the Future

2006-02-06T03:01:00.000-05:00

If you're a fan of the Back to the Future series of movies, you'll enjoy this parody based on Brokeback Mountain. You may never look at those movies the same way after this. :)

This video is in Quicktime format. To see it:

1. Go to this site: http://chocolatecakecity.com/
2. Click Videos (top, center)
3. Then go down to Spring 2006 and choose to see the Small or Large version.

MOVIE REVIEW: Brokeback Mountain

2006-02-05T03:04:00.000-05:00

This movie has received much publicity because of the basic theme of the movie: two cowboys, Ennis and Jack, falling in love with each other. But forget the hype and controversy. This movie really is about forbidden love. This is West Side Story with characters wearing 10-gallon hats.

Everything about the movie is first rate: The plot is simple and effective. The movie is beautifully photographed, marvelously acted, and it handles the male on male love scenes very well. Ang Lee's typically slow pacing is very effective.

All the Oscar nominations are well-deserved. Without a doubt, one of the best 10 movies of the year.

Priceless Scene: There are many but I loved these three: Michelle Williams seeing something that shocks her; Anne Hathaway on the phone explaining what happened to her husband; and Jack's mother look at the end of Ennis's visit.

Special Note: If you've seen the movie, discuss in the Visitor Comments section below what you make of the very last frame in the movie. I'm referring to the stationary camera in Ennis's trailer catching part of the closet and the small square window. This is an example of visual symbolism at it's very best; a case of a picture painting a thousand words.

Introduction

2006-02-05T03:01:00.000-05:00

Hello movie buffs,

As the blog description above says, this blog will be all about movies.

I will start with reviews of the five Oscar nominated movies (I've seen 4 of the 5 and plan to see the last one soon). But I'll also start reviewing other movies I see in theaters.

I invite you to send me reviews of movies you've seen recently. Make them brief, make then funny, make them wacky, but make them. I'll post the best of them.

In addition to movie reviews, I'll post other bits about movies: trivia, great scenes, walk down memory lane, and news about upcoming movies.