Free movies of the week: The Jackie Robinson Story
What differentiates The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) from 42, the $40 million biopic -- based on the life of the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers player who broke baseball's color barrier -- opening today at a theatre near you? The most obvious …
Dig a hole: Mickey Rose
Woody Allen's former writing partner was 77
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/11/43568/ The man responsible for many of the howls contained in three of Woody Allen's earliest and funniest movies is dead. Mickey Rose, co-author of What's Up, Tiger Lily?, Take the Money and Run, and Bananas died of cancer Sunday …
Goodfellas Scorsese and Liotta go back to school in Campus Life
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/11/43562/ I can understand Ray Liotta needing the work, but what is Marty doing acting in a low budget sci-fi picture with Jesse McCartney? Is his youngest daughter, Francesca Scorsese, that big a fan of Dream Street that she called …
Play it again: the movie music of Woody Allen
I've always looked upon Woody Allen as my celluloid rabbi. In addition to imparting Jewish wisdom (and a heritage of laughter) Woody's interest in American jazz and popular songs offered up a refresher course in swing music. Long before Woody's …
Lickona finally in on the joke
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/09/43503/ How many times in this space have I made veiled, and not-so veiled references to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis' legendary blooper reel captured while the duo was recording promos for their latest and funniest picture for Paramount, The …
Digital Gym open for business
MACSD's screening venue passes white glove test
The Media Arts Center's new screening room has been open to the public for over a week. Today marked my maiden visit. Located on the main floor of the MACSD, 2921 El Cajon Blvd, the intimate, 48-seat projection facility brought …
David Elliott remembers Roger Ebert
Former Chicago rival recalls Ebert before Siskbert
Where was I when Roger Ebert died? He'd have been proud. I was all alone in the Clairemont Town Square with pen in hand covering G.I. Joe Retaliation. Ebert lived to be the most influential film critic the world has …
See the book, read the movie 2
A pictorial history of title credits from literary adaptations N thru Z
More storybook openings from a time when Hollywood proudly used literacy as a selling tool. A thru M can be found here. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43254/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43255/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43256/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43258/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43259/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43260/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43253/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43261/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43290/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43262/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43263/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43264/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/05/43313/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43265/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43266/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/05/43314/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43267/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43268/ …
Why I walked out on Evil Dead
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/04/43244/ Never one to second guess my partner in print, in light of Matthew's one star review of Evil Dead, I have no problem contributing a few nasty thoughts of my own. Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981) and it's …
See the book, read the movie
A pictorial history of title credits from literary adaptations A thru M
Read any good movies lately? Long before hardbound comic books like Harry Potter and Twilight began passing for literature, and the subheading "Based on a True Story" became a lazy screenwriters raison d'etre, Hollywood did it's fair share or ransacking …
Breakdowns, blow-ups, and boners from the Warner Bros. vault
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/03/43107/ Television's last great gasp of inventiveness came when Kermit 'Mr. Blooper' Schaefer passed the boner baton to Dick Clark. Forget about balls dropping or kids dancing on the bandstand; Dick Clark's greatest contribution to American culture was the recycling …
Fox News and Jim Carrey gum it out
Fox News' Greg Gutfeld called Jim Carrey, "probably the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth...He's such a pathetic, sad little freak. He's a gibbering mess...He's a marionette and he's fading." Laura Ingraham said, "Carrey has not been …
Tyson tweets tattoo adieu
The following post appeared in Mike Tyson's Twitter feed yesterday: http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/02/42962/ Has the Champ finally come to his senses or did Mike suddenly realize that when he dies, his head can't be buried in a Jewish cemetery? Stop the music! …
Pac-Arts Spring Showcase goes 'Linsane!'
Trailblazing Asian American NBA player, Jeremy Lin, subject of new documentary
As a die hard sportsophobe, I wouldn't know Jeremy Lin from Lynn Swann. Well, that last statement isn't entirely true. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/01/42919/ Lynn's work on the Bagful haunts my every Christmas. That cultural touchstone aside, were it not for his work …
Trailer Park: The Iceman cometh
I'm such a purist that the thought of watching even so much as a trailer on my computer is hateful. As much as I love the damn things, critics seldom see coming attractions before press screenings. Fortunately, I attend enough …
Tribeca Film Festival crowns celebration with The King of Comedy
The closing night presentation at this year's Tribeca Film Festival is a 30-year-old Jerry Lewis picture. No, not Slapstick of Another Kind, but Marty's sublime The King of Comedy. Face it, what else out there that can even come close …
Encinitas filmmaker killed in shooting
John C. Upton was not a household name. His films contained no special effects or big name stars. The documentary filmmaker was best known for his crusade to save the lives of countless Romanian orphans from the deplorable conditions they …
Ashley Judd makes history!
First movie star not to survive the trailer
Never mind that Ashley Judd recently announced she won’t run for the Kentucky Senate seat. Her entire performance in Olympus Has Fallen is contained in the preview. Unless I'm mistaken, Judd is the first movie star in history not to …
Interview: Robert Forster has risen!
I fell in love with Robert Forster through his characters many years ago. Meeting Bob when he passed through town for a Cinema Society of San Diego screening of Diamond Men several years ago only confirmed my fervancy. The Olympus …
Review: War Witch
More well-intentioned ugliness trawling for Oscar. Canada’s official entry for the best foreign language film of 2013, and one of the five nominated pictures, begins promisingly enough with a young mother recounting her life story to her unborn child. Komona’s …