Review: 10 reasons why The Big Wedding was an offer DeNiro couldn't refuse
10.) It offered the chance to fulfill DeNiro's lifelong dream of being vomited on in a Katherine Heigl romcom. 9.) The 'c' word was in the script. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/25/44424/ 8.) Playing a character named "Don" and starring alongside Diane Keaton, director …
DVD Rentals: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/25/44406/ The exact quote escapes me, but James Coburn once said something along the lines of, "When did pictures with action become action pictures?" With a tsunami of action tent-poles set to withstand this summer's flood of competition, let's spend …
DVD Rentals: Flying Leathernecks
World War II had come to an end and the Korean war was just ramping up, but the main motivation behind this propaganda piece was to satisfy R.K.O. studio owner Howard Hughes flying fascination. In 1949, Hughes began production on …
Review: La Pirogue
For once a film on the subject of smuggling refugees that is not based on a true story. My initial fear of harrowing action scenes cushioned by alternating sermons quickly vanished. What little admonishment there is can be found in …
Dig a hole: Allan Arbus
He had the boogie on his fingers and the hubba-hubba in his soul!
It's one thing to overlook the fact that Allan Arbus was the only actor ever to immortalize screwball comedy director Gregory LaCava on film (W.C. Fields and Me). Even The New York Times failed to mention the actor's star-making turn …
Ashley Judd was not the first actor to die in a trailer!
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/22/44189/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-SShi58cI
The long, long titles: Part 2
Including a special tribute to "Rocky(s)!"
Part 2 in my investigative series of movies with names so long, one title card can't hold 'em. You'll find Part 1 here. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43830/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43831/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43832/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43833/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43834/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43835/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43836/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43838/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43839/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43840/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43841/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43842/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43843/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43844/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43845/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43846/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43847/ …
Digital Gym offers workshops on acting, post-production, and how to make a short film
In addition to being San Diego's latest destination for art and independent films, the Media Arts Center San Diego's Digital Gym also offers workshops on film production. Whether you've just removed your first lens cap or have several video projects …
Review: Future Weather
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/19/44110/ A chain-smoking, beer-sloshing grandmother (Amy Madigan) is forced to attend to her environmentally attuned granddaughter (Perla Haney-Jardine) after the 13-year-old is abandoned by her selfish mother (Marin Ireland). Mom has it inside her meth-baked head that she's destined to …
Pac-Arts 3rd Annual Spring Showcase
8 days, 12 films!
Spring is in the air and that means another outstanding showcase of world cinema from Pac-Arts Movement. I've yet to watch one film Pac-Arts is screening this year and like a schmuck, am willfully submitting to Pain and Gain tonight. …
Review: Scary Movie V
After Beetlejuice's cameo in Scary Movie II provided the only legitimate laugh in the film, a pass on all future sequels seemed unavoidable. I was working the day watch out of the Clairemont Town Square. Trance, my 11:05 wake up …
National Association of Theatre Owners President asks Hollywood to make fewer R-rated films
Guns don't kill people, R-rated movies do
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/17/43972/ In an attempt to put a Band-Aid on the gushing wounds caused by recent gun violence in America, NATO President, John Fithian, has called upon Hollywood to make fewer R-rated movies. Fithian joined MPAA chairman and CEO Christopher Dodd …
The long, long titles: Part 1
Movies with names so long, one card can't hold 'em
Fox News notwithstanding, America's generally pride themselves on brevity, particularly when it comes to opening credit sequences. Look how much text Hollywood can cram into one title card: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43822/ It's a good thing pretentious Parisian gasbag Johnny Godard's Weekend wasn't …
May Day Workers Film Festival April 26 - 28 & May 1
The May Day Workers Film Festival is a grass roots organization made up of local San Diego workers and students volunteering their time to "celebrate labor and people’s struggles for May Day." This is the organization's first festival and they …
Review: The Company You Keep
It's a battle of the tousled headdresses when Redford's thatched weave and Shia LaBeouf's combed-with-a-washcloth curls go head to head. Arrogant rookie reporter Ben Sheperd (LaBeouf) may use his palm as a notepad, but damn if he isn't going to …
FOLLOW US, DAMMIT!
Just a gentle reminder that Matthew and I are quite the social media butterflies. Having maxed out my 5,000 followers (arf!) on Facebook, I recently went in and "de-friended" a hundred or so dead celebs to make room for real …
Zaid Abu Hamdan brings his shorts to MoPA
Award-winning Jordanian director comes to Balboa Park as part of Arab Film Festival
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/15/43728/ Jordanian director Zaid Abu Hamdan will be in town on Saturday, May 4 to screen three of his award-winning and Oscar-qualified short films at the Museum of Photographic Arts. In 2006, Hamdan's served as the first assistant director, writer …
The diarrhea of Justin Bieber
Visit to the Anne Frank House gives pause for self-reflection
It's Bieber's world. We just live in it. Teen pop heartthrob Justin Bieber and his posse took time away from their busy world tour to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam yesterday. "Truly inspiring to be able to come …
Review: Paris-Manhattan
Remember this indescribably perfect pair of street strangers that Woody Allen solicits advice from in Annie Hall: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/12/43622/ She's very shallow and empty and has no ideas or anything interesting to say and he's exactly the same way. Give these …
Dig a hole: Jonathan Winters
God must have been in dire need of a good laugh. Someone please inform Jerry, Albert, Howard, and Joan they are free to move one rung up the ladder of living comic legends. Jonathan Winters died yesterday. He was 87. …