AltWeeklies Wire
Reading Is Magical!: Too Bad 'Inkheart' Is a Movienew
Inkheart is intent on letting you know that books are magically wonderful, and thusly shoots itself in the foot—you'll wish it would hurry up and end so you can go home and read.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
01-22-2009 |
Reviews
Weighty Matters Get Treated Carelessly in 'Seven Pounds'new
Pounds' moral preaching is kinda twisted, yet it's delivered up on the same kind of redemptive platter -- swelling music, tears, and all. You've gone too far, guys, with the angel act, and God's gonna smite you down.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
12-19-2008 |
Reviews
'Azur & Asmar' Restores Fantasy to Animationnew
In the age of infinite Shreks and perfectionist CGI, the French animated feature Azur & Asmar feels like a throwback in more ways than one.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
12-12-2008 |
Reviews
Jean-Claude Van Damme's JCVD is ... Brilliant?new
Before you think JCVD is just another excuse for the aging action star to try and roundhouse kick his way into our hearts one last time, wait up: JCVD is as wildly entertaining and daring as cinema comes, and that's something you don't necessarily associate with the train-wrecked career of the weathered action star.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
'Twilight' Makes a Far Better Movie Than Booknew
Largely freed from Stephenie Meyer's ponderous prose, the movie is surprisingly campy and fun, with a cheerful sense of humor about its own ridiculousness.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
Chris Smith Takes up Fiction... In Indianew
For a film with so many elements seemingly at odds, The Pool is distinctly relatable. It is the work of Chris Smith, who we know best as the documentarian behind American Movie and The Yes Men. The Pool, on the other hand, is straight-up fiction.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
10-31-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Chris Smith, The Pool
Patti Smith Gets the Documentary She Deservesnew
With Dream of Life, director (and Smith superfan) Steven Sebring has assembled a strange and beautiful tribute to Smith, equal parts biography, music video, and love letter.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
10-31-2008 |
Reviews
Brendan Fraser Meets Another Mummy ... and Some Yetisnew
Based on The Mummy franchise alone, it would be real easy to hate Brendan Fraser ... but, damn if the dude isn't totally harmless and likeable.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
07-31-2008 |
Reviews
'Quid Pro Quo' Dabbles in Disabilitynew
A quasi-psychological thriller based around the subculture of "wannabes" who identify as, or wish to be, disabled, it completely sidesteps any real explanation of its own premise in favor of directional switcheroos.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-24-2008 |
Reviews
'Sputnik Mania': The Cold War Heats Upnew
Sputnik Mania looks back at those days with expertly used archival footage, along with contemporary interviews and even-keeled narration from Liev Schreiber.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2008 |
Reviews
Crashing Director Jason Freeland's 'Garden Party'new
Even though for some weird reason Garden Party's being marketed all over MySpace as a teen drama, writer/director Freeland's foray into the dirty underpinnings of Los Angeles, is, in fact, a quirky indie flick about the morally ambiguous reality of chasing the Hollywood dream.
The Portland Mercury |
Kiala Kazebee |
07-10-2008 |
Reviews
Batman Gets Animated with 'Gotham Knight'new
The grimy, captivating architectural fantasy of Gotham takes center stage in Batman: Gotham Knight, a series of six animated shorts that serve as a lead-in for The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins, which hits theaters next week.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
07-10-2008 |
Reviews
Guillermo del Toro Goes to Hell and Backnew
The point is fun: In any other movie, it'd be a sign that things had gone seriously awry if a red demon and a blue talking fish got together, drank too much Tecate, and started slurring out a drunken duet, but in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, it kind of makes sense.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
07-10-2008 |
Reviews
'Gunnin' for That #1 Spot' is Like a Better 'Hoop Dreams'new
As Nathaniel Hörnblowér, he's directed a gazillion Beastie Boys videos, but here, Adam Yauch profiles nine high school kids (including Lake Oswego's Kevin Love and Medford's Kyle Singler) as they gear up to play in the annual "Elite 24" basketball game at Harlem's Rucker Park.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
06-27-2008 |
Reviews
Why 'Wall-E' is Fucking Phenomenalnew
Wall-E won't only be one of the best films of the year, but may become one of the best science-fiction films ever made.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
06-27-2008 |
Reviews
