Entries
ArtPower! Screens Liu Bingjian's Crying Woman Tonight
ArtPower! Film will screen Liu Bingjian’s third feature, the comedy/drama Crying Woman (2002), tonight as part of its 21st Century Chinese Film Series. Crying Woman, which was banned in China, is Beijing filmmaker Liu Bingjian’s third feature. According to the …
Casting Candy Land
While Mr. Marks was busy hating on the brilliant high-concept vehicle that is (or should be) Tim Burton's Candy Land, I was busy casting the thing, striving for just the right mix of excellent character actors, former stars in need …
SD Asian Film Festival Screens Wang Quan'an's Apart Together
The first of this year's San Diego Asian Film Festival's quarterly screenings will be held on February 28 at UltraStar Mission Valley. Wang Quan'an's Apart Together was the opening night selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival, where it …
DVD Rentals: Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
John Wayne was always right, Larry Fine was always wrong, and Robert Ryan was always, always troubled. The first on-screen appearance by the most distressed man in the annals of cinema was as an intern in the Bob Hope vehicle …
Grindhouse Movie Reviews: Walkabout, Roeg's 1971 Acid/Aboriginal Trip
The IMDB description for Nicolas Roeg's 1971 tripfest Walkabout is deceptively simple: "Two young children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own. They meet an Aborigine on 'walkabout,' a ritualistic separation from his …
Board Games Hollywood's Latest Tonic to Mollify Bored Viewers?
In the wake of the dumbing-down effects brought about by the rumination-free amusement park thrill rides of Spielberg and Lucas, Hollywood power-brokers struck a creative reef in the late-70s that they have yet to extricate themselves from. Realizing that childhood …
Grate Cinema: Hitler, Dead or Alive! (1942)
And you thought Inglorious Basterds was the only war film to do away with Hitler before the final fade. If you worked as a Hollywood contract player during the war years, chances are you encountered a Nazi or two. Bogart, …
Let's All Go to the Drive Ins! The Santee & South Bay Outdoor Theaters
Thanks to our year-round mild weather, San Diego is one of the few cities in the U.S. with not just one but TWO drive-in theaters still in operation; the South Bay DI and the Santee DI. THE SOUTH BAY Drive-In …
Toward a Regional Cinema
I think it's pretty clear that casting should have begun on a film based on Marisol Valles Garcia the day she took the job of Police Chief of Guadalupe. Guadalupe! You know, like the Virgin! The one that Catholic Mexicans …
Star Wars Fan Jailed, Must Undergo Mental Health Evaluation for Lightsaber Attack in Toy Store
It took this long for officials to realize the root word of "fanatic" is "fan?" Has it not occurred to them that a certain sector of the movie-going population has forever been irreparably harmed by George Lucas' Star Wars series, …
DVD Rentals: Mister Roberts (1955)
In spite of the forced, bully-boy shipboard comedy and mismatched attempts to stitch sumptuous location shots with obvious studio replicas, countless childhood viewings of a center-scan print of Mister Roberts on The Best of CBS render this title beyond criticism. …
Actress from The Actress Reacts to Pro-Hugo Defense
The following Facebook encounter took place between an industry-insider friend, we'll call him "Kappy," and an actress who has a small role in the odds-on favorite to take home this year's best picture Oscar, The Artist. "Kappy's" Facebook wall has …
Review: One for the Money
One for the Money. Two others at the show. 3.) I had to review it. 4.) I could not get up and go. The Chicken Pie Shop' was particularly turned-on last Friday night, and the waitress' inability to stop gabbing …
Trailer Reviews: Nicolas Cage Gets Paid
Nicolas Cage has had his share of financial troubles - remember when he had to sell this fabulous house? So now, instead of wondrous Cage insanities like Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call: New Orleans, we get phone-it-ins like Seeking Justice, …
Plenty to Yawn About as Midnight Movies Return to The Ken
While looking over that past few programs of midnight screenings at The Ken, the thought of revisiting Metropolis and The Maltese Falcon had crossed my mind. When push came to shove, staying out until 2 a.m. watching a couple of …
Trailer Reviews: Controlled Cinematic Haiku
Trailers these days are sometimes like shortened forms of the movies they're selling. So we're gonna start reviewing them via short-form poetry! 28 Hotel Rooms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MCxrYpTA8E Sex in hotel rooms Someone else washes the sheets It will end in tears …
RE:Generation Musical Documentary - Local Screenings Feb. 16
The musical documentary RE:Generation looks at the history, songwriting and studio process of different musical genres through the eyes of five of the most influential electronic producers/DJs in music today, each of whom writes and records a brand new track …
Short Takes: Addiction Incorporated
This smoker would like to personally thank director Charles Evans, Jr. for refraining from taking the scare-tactic route. The last thing I need to look at as the morning cup of coffee warms my wheezy bronchi are billboard-sized views of …
This Should Be Interesting
Lessee, now...Steven Spielberg is reported to be close to directing a Moses picture that features the "gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan," and is "a real warrior movie." (Lest anyone forget, the first great military victory of Moses' life? It …
Day 3 of the San Diego Black Film Festival's Big 8
(Day 3 of the San Diego Black Film Festival is tomorrow, Saturday, January 28, of course, but we're posting this today because we know you check The Big Screen only when you're at work, and damned if you come in …