AltWeeklies Wire
Tyson Tells His Story, Warts and Allnew
Tyson is obviously a must for fans of the sweet science, but the film's larger narrative about a man in search of redemption and understanding transcends any specifics about boxing.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
06-08-2009 |
Reviews
Six Animated Black-and-White Shorts Shed Some Light on Fearnew
Fear(s) of the Dark is a French-produced, 85-minute compilation of six animated shorts. Fear is the common denominator in these films; so too is "dark."
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
02-02-2009 |
Reviews
Winter Walk: Lance Hammer's 'Ballast'new
A confident, if downbeat debut, Ballast eschews "indie" style for lean storytelling.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
02-02-2009 |
Reviews
Misplaced Cell Phones and Lies Create a Twisty Thriller in 'Deception'new
If you can handle another fatal attraction, Deception ambles along companionably, pretending, if not quite succeeding, to be smarter than it is.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
05-05-2008 |
Reviews
What Do '88 Minutes' and 'Baby Mama' Have in Common?new
The unforgiving advance of time, leading to great panic and momentous life-or-death decisions. Both films are also funny -- but only one is meant to be.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
04-28-2008 |
Reviews
Cute Space Alien + Poor Boy = Gooey Sillinessnew
Hong Kong superstar director-actor Stephen Chow takes a detour from his anarchic, martial-arts comedies and winds up in the sentimental cinema-land of very cute kids and furry toys.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
04-21-2008 |
Reviews
The Sweet Lifenew
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is set in England on the eve of World War II and offers pretty, slinky dresses; a bit of bed-hopping; and lies, lies, lies. But as a parlor comedy, it guarantees both a lighter journey and an uncomplicated, upbeat conclusion.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
03-10-2008 |
Reviews
Calling All Cupcake Heroesnew
At Laurie Woodward's blog Cupcake Hero (slush.wordpress.com/cupcake-hero), the battle to produce a winning small frosted cake is strictly friendly.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
03-10-2008 |
Food+Drink
Pete Travis Misses the Marknew
The president's been shot! In Vantage Point , a vaguely political action thriller, the president of the United States gets shot a lot.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
03-03-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Pete Travis, Vantage Point
'Taxi to the Dark Side' Examines Torturenew
Alex Gibney's film is a devastating investigation into how the war on terror has corrupted our nation's values.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
02-25-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Alex Gibney, Taxi to the Dark Side
Director Gregory Hoblit Sick for Thinking We Want to Watchnew
The only remotely decent thing about this rote, icky thriller is Diane Lane, who manages to make her character appear competent, even as the plot collapses around her.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
02-04-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Gregory Hoblit, Untraceable
John Sayles' Latest is Personal Outingnew
As hokey as Honeydripper's epiphany-of-the-axe scene is, it is rooted in reality. Somewhere, somehow, 50 or so years ago, audiences, especially teens, caught a new sound – and it was, in a word, electrifying.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
02-04-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Honeydripper, John Sayles
50 Years of Janus Filmsnew
Pittsburgh Filmmakers presents a two-week film festival -- 16 films that offer a primer on what came to be known as "arthouse cinema."
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
09-25-2007 |
Movies
'The Tracker': Australia's Mythic Frontier Dramanew
Australia's troubled relationship with its indigenous people.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
04-05-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Rolf de Heer, The Tracker
'The Hoax': Howard Hughes' Fake Biographynew
An enjoyable pop-history recap, one of those odd throwaway stories.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Al Hoff |
04-05-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Lasse Hallstrom, The Hoax
