AltWeeklies Wire
'Hot Tub Time Machine,' Reviewednew
The title of Hot Tub Time Machine tells you pretty much all you need to know about what you’re getting into. As Samuel L. Jackson famously said of Snakes on a Plane: “You either want to see it, or you don’t.”
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
03-26-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Hot Tub Time Machine, Steve Pink
The Latest in the 'Twilight' Saga is Gooey Tedium for Fans Onlynew
New Moon is a terrible movie, worse in some ways than Twilight, better in others, and no doubt baffling to the many who don't spend their time fantasizing about being swept off their feet by Robert Pattinson's controlling vampire Edward Cullen or Taylor Lautner's petulant werewolf Jacob Black.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
11-20-2009 |
Reviews
'Bored to Death' is Full of Listless Ironynew
Since HBO's genuinely funny Flight of the Conchords is likely gone for good, the network could really use some original programming with a goofy sense of humor. Unfortunately Bored is far too smug and weak-willed to actually be funny, but at least it's sometimes light on its feet and has few pretensions to profundity.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-18-2009 |
TV
Horror Showdown: 'Halloween II' vs. 'The Final Destination'new
Horror sequels Halloween II and The Final Destination both open this week, but neither was screened in time for review. So instead, we've devised this scientific system (note: system not scientific at all) to determine which one might be worth horror fans' time and money.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-27-2009 |
Movies
Listless Comedy 'Post Grad' Squanders Any Potential It May Have Hadnew
A kind of disjointed lurching from one thing to another pervades the movie, and it doesn't help that the characters speak almost entirely in platitudes. The uncertainty of post-college life is a potential gold mine of interesting material, and this movie avoids nearly all of it.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-20-2009 |
Reviews
Why 'Mad Men' is the Must-See Show of the Summernew
AMC's show about advertising executives in the 1960s, which has gone from a cult hit to the most acclaimed show on television, returns for its third season on August 16, and TV critics everywhere are salivating in anticipation. So is it worth the hype? You're damn right it is. Here's why.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-14-2009 |
TV
Animal Planet’s Blend of Documentary and Action Struggles for Balancenew
Whatever happened to good old-fashioned nature shows? You know, National Geographic specials with dry British narration and lots of scenes of lions chasing gazelles?
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
02-19-2009 |
TV
'Bride Wars' is Hellnew
Not only does the movie destroy any sympathy for its two main characters by turning them into evil shrews the minute their weddings are pitted against each other, but it also reduces all women to irrational, wedding-crazy stereotypes, apparently unable to focus on anything beyond superficial, materialistic desires.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
01-08-2009 |
Reviews
'Cadillac Records' is 'Dreamgirls' Litenew
Biopics are by nature formulaic, and music biopics even more so, so it should probably come as no surprise that Cadillac Records, which is essentially several music biopics in one, is all formula, all the time.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
12-04-2008 |
Reviews
Vampire Romance 'Twilight' Makes an Awkward Leap from Page to Screennew
Stephenie Meyer's dunderheaded brick of a book may be poorly written pap, but it affords its audience a level of pure escapism as alluring as it is unrealistic and unhealthy. Twilight the movie brings all of that crashing down to earth, and inspires only nervous laughter.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
'Bolt' Never Bores, But Never Gets Beyond Mild Amusement Eithernew
It's the kind of solid, middle-of-the-road entertainment that Disney can reliably churn out while audiences await the next exciting achievement from Pixar.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
'Pride and Glory': A Meat-and-Potatoes Thriller with Very Little Meatnew
While Pride benefits from a decent lead performance by the always-dependable Edward Norton, it otherwise plods and lumbers its way through an overly familiar story about corruption and loyalty in law enforcement.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
10-24-2008 |
Reviews
Three New Judge Shows Arrive to Compete with 'Judge Judy'new
There are three new judge shows premiering in syndication this season -- Judge Karen, Family Court with Judge Penny, and Judge Jeanine Pirro -- all of them hosted by no-nonsense women, all of them following the well-worn format with little deviation.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-25-2008 |
TV
'Ghost Town' Barely Gets By, Thanks to Ricky Gervaisnew
It's likable enough for its first two-thirds or so, before the achingly predictable plot churns into high gear and director/co-writer Koepp pours on the sap at the expense of humor.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-19-2008 |
Reviews
The Coen Brothers' Latest is an Entertaining Triflenew
Burn After Reading's madcap tone recalls Coen projects like The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, although it doesn’t reach the heights of sublime absurdity that those movies (especially Lebowski) achieved.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-11-2008 |
Reviews
