AltWeeklies Wire
'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
Leanimal Debuts on Project Runway!new
Great news for Portland fashion: Leanne Marshall, designer of the Leanimal label (leanimal.com) has just returned from New York, where she has secretly been for the past month or so ... filming the fifth season of Project Runway!
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
07-17-2008 |
TV
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
'Mongol': A Kinder, Gentler Warlordnew
Not your father's Genghis Khan, this despot is so sensitive that he's whatever the word for emo is now. Mongol plays like The Last of the Mohicans 2: Asia Minor, turning an otherwise excellent movie into something totally pretty and revisionist.
The Portland Mercury |
Kiala Kazebee |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Mike Myers Isn't Funny Anymore ... and It Makes Me Sadnew
Buried inside The Love Guru, there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to Wayne's World, and man, is it depressing. I know Wayne's World isn't necessarily a work of cinematic genius, but it was funny when I was 12, and it's funny now -- which is more than I can say for Mike Myers' latest.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
06-19-2008 |
Reviews
Hulk Lack Emotional Resonance!new
More of a continuation than a remake of Ang Lee's critically mixed Hulk (2003), The Incredible Hulk seems intent on repairing the damage inflicted by its predecessor.
The Portland Mercury |
Wm. Steven Humphrey |
06-13-2008 |
Reviews
'The Happening' is Goofynew
The Happening is being marketed as the first R-rated film from Shyamalan, and it's also widely viewed as Shyamalan's last chance to remind everyone he used to make good movies. It's also so terrible as to be nearly unwatchable.
The Portland Mercury |
Erk Henriksen |
06-13-2008 |
Reviews
Indiana Jones Wants You Damn Kids to Get off His Lawn!new
Harrison Ford is, once again, funny and tough and cool, able to crack a bullwhip and punch out a stooge with the best of 'em. But the film doesn't feel the same. There's CG and sci-fi.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
05-23-2008 |
Reviews
David Mamet Knows Kung Funew
The ghosts of the Shaw Brothers haunt this tale of Mike Terry, a painfully noble Los Angeles jiu-jitsu instructor who, through a series of increasingly unlikely occurrences, gets sucked into a world of sketchy movie producers and unethical mixed martial arts fighters.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
'Son of Rambow': Getting Boners Over Rambonew
Son of Rambow is about two young boys and the remake of Rambo that they put together during an idyllic English summer (is there any other kind?).
The Portland Mercury |
Kiala Kazebee |
05-09-2008 |
Reviews
