AltWeeklies Wire
Oliver Stone Sweetens the Pain: Wall Street Sequel Hits All the High Points
Oliver Stone makes a winning attempt at staying true to his original "Wall Street's" streamlined storytelling about the warped mentality of the center of the economic universe.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-20-2010 |
Reviews
Ben Affleck's Domain
Ben Affleck has so thoroughly reinvented himself as an actor that it's tempting to take for granted his commendable skills as a director even after his notable debut with "Gone Baby Gone."
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-13-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: The Town, Ben Affleck
Taste the Fury: Mexploitation Comes to Town
Robert Rodriguez's co-directed grindhouse fun-fest "Machete" is loaded with laughs, gore, and sly '70s-styled social commentary about America's current immigration crack-down.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-31-2010 |
Reviews
A Good Crone Atones: Children's Franchise Recovers With Polished Sequel
A vast improvement over the 2005 franchise introduction of co-writer/actress Emma Thompson's Mary-Poppinsish household savior, "Nanny McPhee Returns" finds modern-day meaning in its World War II era English trappings.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-16-2010 |
Reviews
Reel to Video: Video Game Marketing Goes Big Screen
Cinema of the eternally pubescent hits a new low with director/co-writer Edgar Wright's adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-10-2010 |
Reviews
The Boys Are Back: Action Star Medley Plays the Hits
Lean, mean, funny, and chockablock with fast-twitch demolition spectacle, "The Expendables" represents a grand finale for several generations of action cinema stars.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-09-2010 |
Reviews
Brothers of the Rope: George Mallory's Quest is Brought Full-Circle
Just when you were fed up with the whole idea of people climbing Mount Everest like it was a rollercoaster at Magic Mountain, documentarian Anthony Geffen reclaims a significant aspect of the mountain's storied history.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-02-2010 |
Reviews
Straight Man / Funny Man: Paul Rudd and Steve Carell Crack Wise
Great comic pairings don't come along often. Yet, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd strike a snappy chemistry as straight man to funnyman.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-26-2010 |
Reviews
Garbled Objectives: Todd Solandz--Same Old Thing
Todd Solandz is back once again to beat his convoluted dead-horse themes of race relations and schmaltzy pedophilia.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-20-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Life During Wartime, Todd Solandz
Stressed Rhythms: Stieg Larsson's Trilogy Takes a Dive
The second installment in the filmic adaptation of the late Stieg Larsson's large-scale crime trilogy "Millennium" pales in comparison to "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo."
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-12-2010 |
Reviews
Why VOD is Inevitable
Video on Demand is already poised serve the full spectrum of Hollywood, foreign, and independent films.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-10-2010 |
Movies
Spinning Apatow: Russell Brand and Jonah Hill Take a Trip
Get Him to the Greek has all the earmarks of a Judd Apatow spin-off, and that's a good thing.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
05-30-2010 |
Reviews
Only a Thread: Romero Loses His Credibility
Sometimes nothing is better than something. George A. Romero's latest zombie retread demotes the 70-year-old filmmaker to a pale imitation of the groundbreaking director who invented zombie satire in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead, and then went on to full-on postmodern force with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
05-24-2010 |
Reviews
Shrek Matures: Bourgeoisie Critics are Opposed
The fourth installment in the animated Shrek franchise is the most polished example of the series.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
05-17-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Shrek Forever After, Mike Mitchell
What's So Funny 'Bout War, Greed, and Ignorance: Robin Hood Prequel is an Uphill Slog
For as muddled as its medieval politics are, thanks to Brian Helgeland's scattershot screenplay, director Ridley Scott's cloud-covered history of Robin Longstride's path to outlaw legend soars whenever Cate Blanchett takes the screen as Maid Marion.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
05-11-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Robin Hood, Ridley Scott
