AltWeeklies Wire
Q&A: John Olivernew
The comedian talks stand-up, politics, and our inevitable Chinese overlords.
The Portland Mercury |
Andrew R. Tonry |
09-14-2011 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: John Oliver, The Daily Show
Lost Down the Rabbit Hole: Tim Burton's Hesitant 'Alice in Wonderland'new
Messing with classics is dangerous business. The fact that Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland isn't a straight retelling of the Lewis Carroll books might be motivated, as stated, by a desire to give the tale more narrative heft, but it also feels like a pulled punch.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
03-04-2010 |
Reviews
Brothers Brings the War Homenew
Director Jim Sheridan's adaptation has a contemplative steadiness far more common in European films than American ones.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
12-07-2009 |
Reviews
The Messenger's Bad News Comes in Threesnew
Because life, especially in wartime, can be understatedly described as "messy," it's perhaps feasible to excuse The Messenger's disarray.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
12-07-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Oren Moverman, The Messenger
'Precious': Who Wants Some Oprah-Approved Ghetto Tourism?new
Sexual abuse and incest are realities, and there's no reason why art shouldn't confront them. But when pop culture addresses them (and Precious, with its against-all-odds cheerleading and music-video casting, is very much a pop-culture commodity), the results deserve scrutiny.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
11-19-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Precious, Lee Daniels
'Pirate Radio': Good Music. Terrible Movie.new
Rock 'n' roll is great. But no matter how powerful, majestic, or even life changing three chords and the truth can be, rock 'n' roll cannot save Pirate Radio.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
11-13-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Pirate Radio, Richard Curtis
'2012': BOOM! CRASH! JOHN CUSACK!new
2012 is pure pandemonium, and it's like two and a half hours of it, and if you're not in the mood for an inane summer blockbuster in the middle of November, then move along, killjoy -- no one wants you here.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
11-13-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Roland Emmerich, 2012
'Antichrist' is Kinda Like Taking a Pair of Rusty Scissors to Your Lady Placenew
I've been thinking about this film for weeks, slowly turning it over in my head, and while I still haven't fully sussed it out, I do know that Antichrist is visually arresting, relentlessly cruel, and intensely, genuinely interesting.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
10-29-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Antichrist, Lars von Trier
'Coco Before Chanel' is an Inspiring Portrait of a Rebel Feministnew
Though its subject is arguably the most recognizable in fashion, Coco Before Chanel is more concerned with individuality than clothing. As Coco Chanel herself once famously put it, "Fashion passes, style remains."
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
10-22-2009 |
Reviews
'Law Abiding Citizen' is the Silliest Episode of 'Law & Order' Evernew
Whoever to combine torture porn with an indictment of our legal system should be chopped limb from limb.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
10-16-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Law Abiding Citizen, F. Gary Gray
The Tricks in 'The Burning Plain' are as Tired as its Mopey Charactersnew
These people and timelines are all tied together under big themes of utmost gravitas, and a strong cast delivers compelling characters whose lives are interesting enough to maintain reasonable curiosity. But these cards have simply been played far too many times, and to far more powerful effect; Plain can't help but look a bit pale in comparison.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
09-25-2009 |
Reviews
'Jennifer's Body': Your Average Sensitive Teen Slasher Picnew
While screenwriter Diablo Cody has been accused of being overly precious, here her cleverly worded script is streamlined to fit into the slash 'n' sex genre of horror. While the quips come fast, funny, and furious, it never slows down the plot or Kusama's thoughtful direction, which often reveals the underlying truths behind Cody's deceptively glib teen-speak.
The Portland Mercury |
Wm. Steven Humphrey |
09-18-2009 |
Reviews
Boss Lady: 'The September Issue' Takes You to Worknew
In September, Anna Wintour's legendary iciness seems like the unremarkable product of natural decisiveness and an incredibly heavy schedule. She's irreverent, yes, but someone has to be, even at the highest echelon.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
09-10-2009 |
Reviews
Saving Shaolin: Portland Film Geek Unearths Grindhouse Goldminenew
Dan Halsted started Portland's Grindhouse Film Festival in 2004. Since then, he has developed the festival into a monthly showcase of genre cinema that pits the sordid pulp of films like The Toolbox Murders against the antiseptic blandness of contemporary multiplexes.
The Portland Mercury |
Matt Davis |
09-10-2009 |
Movies
'All About Steve': The Nail in Sandra Bullock's Career's Coffin!new
Poor Sandra Bullock: She's an actress that everyone seems to love to hate, but up until now, she didn't deserve half the flak and sarcasm she's suffered in a world full of far-less-likeable Jennifer Anistons and Renee Zellwegers.
The Portland Mercury |
Marjorie Skinner |
09-03-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: All About Steve, Phil Traill
