Recommended The Movie: Based on the play by Miguel Pinero, Short Eyes , directed by Robert M. Young in 1977 is a grim look at life in The Tombs' (The Manhattan Detention Complex, or The Manhattan Detention Center if you prefer, a prison in the lower part of the city widely considered at the time to be New York City's worst jail).
Recommended THE FILM: Click an image to view Blu-ray screenshot with 1080p resolution. Director Marc Webb seems more in command of his blockbuster comic-book adaptation The Amazing Spider-Man 2 than he did on the previous outing, which is impressive considering Webb is only two films out from his first project, indie (500) Days of Summer .
Rent It THE MOVIE: Please Note: The stills used here are taken from promotional materials and other sources, not the Blu-ray edition under review. A timely release given recent events in Gaza, the 1966 war movie Cast a Giant Shadow takes us back to the early days of Israel's quest for sovereignty. Written and directed by Melville Shavelson ( Yours, Mine & Ours ), the film is both quaint and …
Recommended The Film: As some modern movie adaptations of popular young-adult books elevate expectations of what they're capable of, there are a slate of recent others — from The Mortal Instruments to The Host and Percy Jackson — that serve as a reminder of the turbulence still plaguing the subgenre. Despite Hollywood's progress in the halls of Hogwarts and the districts of Panem, there's …
Highly Recommended Politically speaking, Lewis Milestone's The North Star (1943) makes for fascinating viewing. Dramatically, however, it's more than a little ridiculous
Skip It Monster High Clawesome Double Feature: As the father of an 8-year-old girl, I've seen the monsters at Monster High peering over my shoulder for some time now. There they are, just a few aisles down from My Little Pony , across the way from Barbie, sneering at the endlessly rotating cycle of Justin Bieber/Zac Effron/One Direction merch. While I hate the way toys are marketed to girls and …
Recommended Underwater thrillers were all the rage in 1989, as no less than three of 'em were released theatrically between January and August…and while none of them were hugely successful at the box office, each film made more money than the last. But the only one that most people remember is James Cameron's The Abyss ; even then, it's seen as a minor failure considering the position between …
Rent It THE FILM: Fading Gigolo is the fifth film directed by John Turturro, who has north of 75 acting roles to his credit. Turturro stars here, too, along with Woody Allen, and it seems the tables have turned for the senior lead. This story of a failed bookstore owner who begins pimping out his friend to aging socialites feels like something Allen might have directed, but the role is his first …
Highly Recommended The Railway Man Blu-ray Review The Railway Man is an evocative,intelligent, andwell made dramatic film based upon the real life story told by EricLomax inhis published autobiography.
Recommended In 10 Words or Less A feel-good comedy dance movie Reviewer's Bias* Loves: The Pegg/Frost/Wright films Likes: Chris O'Dowd, Nick Frost, Rashida Jones Dislikes: Dancing, douchebags Hates: Dancing douchebags The Movie Nick Frost is best known as the sidekick to Simon Pegg in an assortment of movies and TV shows, including Shaun of the Dead and Spaced , but he's carved out a nice little …