AltWeeklies Wire
'Flash of Genius' is Well Done but Depressingnew
Little man fights big business -- you've seen this story before. But that doesn't mean it's not effective when done right. There may be a formula to Flash of Genius, but in this case it works.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Louis Peitzman |
10-01-2008 |
Reviews
Bros, Butts, and More at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festivalnew
As I write this, a little over halfway though this year's visit, I haven't yet had a defining Toronto fest moment. Sure, there was the moment I became aware of just how jaded I am -- when I passed by a mob of gawkers and flashbulbs and realized I didn't give a rat's ass about which celebrity had incited such a tizzy. But so far, I haven't seen a film that truly dazzled me.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Cheryl Eddy |
09-11-2008 |
Movies
Bummer: The Fourth Season of 'Weeds' is a Comedownnew
The Showtime dramedy about a pot-dealing MILF is in its fourth season, and was recently renewed for two more -- but who's gonna keep watching? A few choice moments aside, the once-mighty Weeds has pretty much sucked this season.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Cheryl Eddy |
09-11-2008 |
TV
How to Act the Steve Coogan Way: An Interview with the 'Hamlet 2' Mannew
As a parody of inspirational teacher flicks, Hamlet 2 is a rousing success -- the type Mr. Holland would toss his opus for. It's almost completely due to Coogan.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Kimberly Chun |
08-21-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
'Sputnik Mania' Takes a Hot Look at the Cold Warnew
Two decades ago, when communism in most territories ended with a whimper, the Cold War era officially died with it. But David Hoffman's documentary Sputnik Mania turns the Way Back Machine to that long moment when it was overwhelmingly, virulently alive.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
08-13-2008 |
Reviews
'Wanted and Desired' Takes Aim at Roman Polanski and the Culture of Celebritynew
Some critics will probably deride Wanted and Desired as pure hagiography, or worse yet, a legitimization of Polanski's crimes and subsequent fugitive status. But Zenovich's intentions circumnavigate any idol worship, as her refusal to err toward his guilt or exoneration makes clear.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Erik Morse |
07-23-2008 |
Reviews
'The Wackness' Captures 1994's Halcyon Hustlenew
Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) may not be as brainy and broken as Holden Caulfield or as mortality-fixated and mundane as Andrew Largeman of Garden State, but Peck hits the right notes of cringe-inducing yet pungent realism required to turn this potential cipher into a full-fledged character.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Kimberly Chun |
07-10-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: The Wackness, Jonathan Levine
'Gonzo' Looks into the Minds of Hunter S. Thompsonnew
Gibney says that he was drawn to his latest subject largely because of that persona. "He was a guy who didn't play by the rules, and it seems like we need a guy like that around now, when the rules are being used against us by people in power."
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Cheryl Eddy |
07-02-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
'Hancock' is no 'Men in Black,' but It Still Teems with Destruction, Funninessnew
It's no Men in Black, but still teems with destruction, funniness
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Amber Humphrey |
07-02-2008 |
Reviews
Tom Kalin's 'Savage Grace' is Shallow and Gracelessnew
Other New Queer Cinema mavericks have gone on to make films that challenge artistic, thematic, and commercial assumptions. In comparison, Savage Grace is oddly conservative.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
'Stuck' Cuts Both Waysnew
Inspired (very loosely) by an actual incident, Stuck is a eminently satisfying comedy of the grotesque, sporting all of director Stuart Gordon's flair for balancing queasy horror and near-surreal hilarity.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
06-04-2008 |
Reviews
'Bigger, Stronger, Faster' Is Smarter Than It Looksnew
In taking a trip down just such a road to self-betterment, this unexpectedly delightful and deep documentary bumps up against cosmetic surgery, steroid usage, and wheatgrass juice. As it questions the points at which an investment in exterior or physical perfection might constitute cheating, it holds up a mirror to the American way of life.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
06-04-2008 |
Reviews
'Love Songs' Steps Out From Under An Umbrellanew
Love Songs proves few movies are entirely terrible or terrific. Its crushworthy final half-hour is touching and sometimes magnificent. But much of its initial hour is maddening.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Johnny Ray Huston |
06-04-2008 |
Reviews
'Mister Lonely' Moonwalks between Surreal and Melancholynew
Harmony Korine's latest -- his first feature since Julien Donkey-Boy -- is perhaps his most unusual effort to date, but not for the reasons seasoned Korine watchers might expect.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Cheryl Eddy |
05-22-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Mister Lonely, Harmony Korine
'Battle for Haditha' is Iraq Fiction Worth Seeingnew
A rare dramatic film from veteran documentarian Nick Broomfield, this film's final outcry of grief, vengeance, and injustice is a terrifying illustration of how badly we've bungled -- by creating new terrorists in attempting to eradicate established ones.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
05-14-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Iraq, Battle for Haditha
