AltWeeklies Wire
'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
'Baghead' is a Sometimes Awkward Marriage of Horror and Talkinessnew
Brothers Mark and Jay Duplass made one of the foundational movies of the so-called "mumblecore" movement with 2005's The Puffy Chair, and their follow-up, Baghead, finds them struggling to break out of what's become a somewhat stifling and limiting label.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-05-2008 |
Reviews
It Seems Almost Cruel to Criticize 'The Little Red Truck'new
The Missoula Children's Theatre is undoubtedly a worthwhile organization that provides a valuable service to thousands of children, but that doesn't mean it's fun to sit through what amounts to a 90-minute advertisement for the company.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-05-2008 |
Reviews
'Elegy' is Remarkably Dour and Unsexynew
Based on the novel "The Dying Animal" by Philip Roth, Elegy is meditative and glum, but not quite as profound as its tone seems to suggest it is.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-28-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Elegy, Isabel Coixet
'Traitor' is a Popcorn Thriller in Political-Drama Clothingnew
Nachmanoff, working from an idea by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin), does try to address some serious questions about the religious motivations behind terrorist acts, but in the end he's more concerned with gotcha moments than with intellectual discourse. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-28-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Traitor
What's in a Skin Color? The Perils of Ethnic Impersonation in Moviesnew
Why is it that Robert Downey Jr. is celebrated for his clever meta-performance in Tropic Thunder, while Ben Stiller is attacked for denigrating a whole group of people in the same film? The line between respect and offense in cases like these is razor-thin, and it's not always easy to see where it should be drawn.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-22-2008 |
Movies
'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is an Invigorating Trip Abroadnew
The fourth (and apparently final) film in what might be called Woody Allen's European period, this is the closest to what fans of his classic relationship comedies keep hoping the writer-director will produce again. It's a light, entertaining and romantic movie without the strained zaniness of 2006's Scoop, filled with mild humor, some wonderfully drawn characters and a lovely Spanish setting.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-15-2008 |
Reviews
A New Crop of Game Shows Take On-Air Debasement to a New Lownew
Watching a real Japanese game show conjures up mixed feelings of glee at the rampant creativity and sadness for the desperate contestants who'll do anything for money or attention. Watching shows like Wipeout and Hurl! is merely depressing, a reminder that when faced with a choice between originality and exploitation, American reality-TV producers will almost invariably choose the latter.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
07-25-2008 |
TV
'Step Brothers' Finds Will Ferrell Regressing and Repeating Himselfnew
The problem is not that Ferrell has ceased to be funny, although his shtick is clearly wearing thin; the problem is that he and collaborator Adam McKay, with whom he worked on Anchorman and Talladega Nights, have abandoned all goals other than to "be funny" in the most desperate, overblown and ultimately grating manner.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
07-25-2008 |
Reviews
'When Did You Last See Your Father?' Floats Along Unconvincinglynew
If it were more maudlin, it'd be a cheesy TV movie, but then it might at least have greater feeling to it.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
07-07-2008 |
Reviews
'I Love Money' is Exactly What it Sounds Like: Patheticnew
With I Love Money, even the pretense of looking for a personal connection has been abandoned. The title brazenly declares the true intentions of just about anyone who goes on a reality TV show (look for Please Pay Attention to Me, coming soon).
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
07-07-2008 |
TV
Motley Crue's Latest is a Conscious Effort to Return to '80s Glory Daysnew
Saints tries hard to sound tough and succeeds about half the time, but the Crue used to be much better when they didn't have to constantly remind people how dangerous they were.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
06-27-2008 |
Reviews
'Garcia Girls' is Worth the Roundabout Journeynew
Showcased at Sundance back in 2005, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer finally makes its way to theaters thank no doubt to the increased profile of star America Ferrera, better known these days for her role on Ugly Betty. Whatever the reason, it's a welcome arrival and a nice alternative to what we typically consider summer entertainment at the movies.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
06-27-2008 |
Reviews
USA’s New Procedural Marshals Little Excitementnew
Procedural fans looking for something new this summer probably won’t mind Sight’s mediocrity, and it does at least make an effort to shed some light on an area of police work that’s underrepresented in TV and movies—and generally depicted from the criminal’s perspective if it’s showcased at all. The more these similar shows fill the cable airwaves, though, the harder each one will have to work to distinguish itself. And in that respect, In Plain Sight clearly falls short.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
06-05-2008 |
TV
