AltWeeklies Wire
Remaking Peckinpah: Rod Lurie Falls for Mug’s Game
“When in Rome, [do as the Romans do.]” James Marsdan’s clueless screenwriter character David Sumner uses the age-old adage to rationalize how he should interact with snotty Southern hicks in his wife Amy’s hometown of Blackwater, Mississippi.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-19-2011 |
Reviews
What You Want: Nicholas Winding Refn Burns Slow and Fast
Playing with a William Friedkin-like of patient intensity, atmospheric style, and shocks of violence Dutch director Nicolas Winding Refn creates his own 21st century dialectic of cinema.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-12-2011 |
Reviews
Soderbergh Gets Sick: Pandemic Isn’t Catching
"Contagion's" PG-13 rating predicts the film's less than horrific nature (following an overpromising opening sequence).
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-06-2011 |
Reviews
TKO: The 21st Century Gets its “Rocky”
Magnificent. The 21st century version of "Rocky" and "Raging Bull" rolled into one, "Warrior" is as solid as Tom Hardy's tensed ab muscles.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-02-2011 |
Reviews
Masking Mengele: Revenge Remake Falters
What starts out as a gripping Cold-War-era espionage thriller devolves into utter fantasy in director John Madden’s remake of a 2007 Israeli film by the same title.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-29-2011 |
Reviews
No Ceiling for Cynicism: NATO Empowered Sex Trafficking Expose Tells All
The illicit sex-trafficking actions of NATO peacekeepers -- both privatized and not -- is the subject of this incendiary film that falls prey to predictable dramatic conventions.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-02-2011 |
Reviews
Soul Mates: A Solid Cast and a Good Script Bring Adult Romantic Comedy Back
For the first time in a long time Hollywood offers up an energetic adult romantic comedy that's equal parts substance and comic spice.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-26-2011 |
Reviews
Going Not So Gently Into That Good Night: Harry Potter and Company Close up Shop
After the rambling first-half effort of the final Harry Potter installment, the filmmakers get down to business to give the franchise a generally rewarding send-off.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-11-2011 |
Reviews
Instant Classic: Disney Advances the Pooh Franchise by Reaching
One of the most deservedly beloved children's stories of all time gets an affectionate filmic rendering notable for its delicate sense of restraint.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-11-2011 |
Reviews
Revenge Fantasy: Pals Laugh Bosses into a Shallow Grave
A much more successful bromance comedy than "The Hangover 2," "Horrible Bosses" benefits from the volatile comic mixture of chemistry between its actors and a genuinely quirky script.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
07-05-2011 |
Reviews
Gannett Shuts Down NOISE, Its Faux Alt-Weekly in Lansing, Mich.new
After nine years, the Gannett Corp. has pulled the plug on one of the prototypes for the wave of weeklies that were supposed to bring young readers back to print. After this week, NOISE becomes online only.
City Pulse |
Andy Balaskovitz |
06-22-2011 |
Media
Diaz Talks Dirty: Move Over Bad Santa, There's a New Baddie in Town
For the first time since her unforgettable appearance in the Farrelly Brothers' 1998 gross out comedy "There's Something About Mary" Cameron Diaz fulfills her comedic promise.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
06-21-2011 |
Reviews
Special Delivery: Jim Carrey Keeps Penguins Afloat
Loosely based on Florence Atwater's 1938 children's book, "Mr. Popper's Penguins" never completely gels.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
06-13-2011 |
Reviews
Back in Time: J.J. Abrams Celebrates Amateur Filmmaking
Sure to inspire a new generation of youngsters to pick up video cameras and start making their own movies, "Super 8" is an intentionally restrained monster movie that plays the heartstrings of its young characters against a nostalgic brand of filmic suspense.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
06-06-2011 |
Reviews
Second Verse Same as the First : Todd Phillips Plays it Too Safe
The formula mold that worked so well the first time around loses some steam in this follow up to the most successful R-rated movie ever made.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
05-23-2011 |
Reviews
