What's Xenu? Tom Cruise leaving Scientology to impress a chick?
Tom Cruise will give up his desperate attempts to turn the works of a sci-fi writer into an accepted religion the day I stop watching movies. Never happen. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/15/33562/ Reports that Cruise will leave Scientology in order to win back …
Interview: Seven Psychopaths wrangler, Martin McDonagh
Matt drew review duty for Seven Psychopaths while I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the film’s writer/director, Martin McDonagh, when he paid a recent visit to San Diego. Remember In Bruges, the nasty film noir comedy that …
Review: Sinister
With the Saw franchise desperately in need of a creative miter box to guide it through a new sequel, this will mark our second Jigsaw-less Halloween. This season, screams will be heard emanating from multiplexes showing Sinister. In order to …
Enter to win the Blu-ray Anniversary Combo Pack of E.T.
What do you mean "Reader employees and their families are not eligible?" to win the Deluxe Anniversary Blu-ray Combo Pack with DVD, Digital Copy, Ultraviolet Set? Damn it to hell! Wait a minute? It's the Spielberg movie and not a …
Debbie Reynolds hospitalized in L.A.
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/10/33299/ Debbie Reynolds and I go way back. Sort of... Believe me when I tell you that I have seen Do It Debbie's Way, an exercise video she produced in the mid '80's, more times than I have Citizen Kane. …
Paul Blevins to unleash True Love Zombie
Oh, my God. What have I done? http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/09/33249/ When I first interviewed horror film aficionado and first-time filmmaker Paul Blevins way back in May, he expressed interest in renting a theatre to screen his cinematic creation, True Love Zombie, for …
Free movies: "Columbo" Day edition
You can watch clips of The Marx Bros. in Horse Feathers starting here, but if you want to cut to the "Columbo" Day chase, here's Chico's fractured English tribute to Chris: "Christopher Columbo he write the Queen of Spain a …
Head Explodes in #4 Clairemont Town Square
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/08/33124/ Last night's 35mm presentation of Butter was in uniform focus throughout. The pre-show aneurism had nothing to do with Jennifer Deering or her Johnny-on-the spot staff at Reading Cinemas Town Square who were there to greet us both coming …
Farewell to a legend: Gloria Penner
There are times that even I don't have the heart to use my "dig a hole" catchphrase. While we never went bowling or to a movie together, I knew Gloria Penner and was fortunate enough to have worked with her …
Opening this week
Some directors deserve the utmost respect. Even if a screener of the latest Carlos Saura film appeared in my mailbox, I'd still wait and watch it on a big screen. The wait is over. Flamenco, Flamenco, a stunning study of …
German Currents Film Festival at year two
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/04/32901/ The ceiling of MoPA's Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theatre will cast its twinkle light on a crop of San Diego premiers when the museum once again plays host to the German Currents Film Festival. The sensational news is 75% …
Tips on how to survive a kiddie matinee
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/04/32873/ Studios want critics to see children's films with an audience, generally at 10am on a Saturday morning at Edwards Mira Mesa. It's a strange custom, as if the sound of children's laughter will somehow add an additional star to …
Mean street style: Scorsese accoutrement for everyday living
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/03/32803/ Label: Licensed Hugo Automation Style: Short sleeve graphic tee Color: Black Sizes: Small to 3XL Cost: $16.07 on eBay http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/03/32804/ Label: When? Style: American Apparel athletic tee Color: Blue or gray Sizes: Small to 2XL Cost: $26.99 at Skreened …
Review: Taken 2
Fans with short attention spans will applaud director Olivier Megaton’s inability to hold an image on screen for more than 10 seconds, but devotees of the original, of which I am one, will wonder where the thrills went in this …
A Home for Spielberg
Today is moving day and while making one last pass at the dumpster, I noticed that a neighbor had cleansed his video collection. Come on now, it's gonna be a nice day!
Interview: Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland on Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/02/32709/ In an interview with writer Bob Colacello, fashion editor Diana Vreeland summed up what it means to be a visionary trendsetter: “You’re not supposed to give people what they want, you supposed to give them what they don’t know …
Review: 10 Years
Why is it that regurgitated sputum like American Pie Reunion is released on 3,192 screens while a congenial, handsomely-cast, and thoroughly engaging film like 10 Years gets dumped with zero fanfare on one screen at Horton Plaza? You think that …
Celebrity Yarmulkes
Hopefully, enough days have passed since last week's celebration of Yom Kippur and this post will count against next year's entry in The Book of Life. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32431/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32422/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32423/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32424/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32425/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32505/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32494/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32426/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32428/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32487/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32429/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32430/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32486/ http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/28/32432/ …
Free movies of the week: Educational films 101
No matter how gloomy a day it was outside, nothing brightened the inside of a classroom more than when the teacher pulled down the tattered screen and wheeled out the 16mm Bell & Howell Autoload. The entertainment value found in …
Ben Affleck is a "wonder sperm kind of guy"
While guesting on Ellen, Jennifer Garner let slip a bit of information that many in the entertainment industry have speculated on for years. When asked if she and hubby Ben Affleck planned on having child #4, Garner told the spermophobic …