In my opinion, both the book and the movie versions of “Fifty Shades of Grey” (originally “Master of the Universe,” a “Twilight” fan fiction penned by Snowqueens Icedragon, who has since adopted the pen name E.L. James) have generated far more attention, money, and drama than they’re worth. While I have not read the book,…
By their nature, submarine movies lend themselves to easy criticism — in terms of wordplay that is. Analogies such as “the performances were so painfully lacking that they ‘sunk’ the entire film” or “why watch this film when it should be isolated and submerged beneath two miles of ocean?” could easily take form. Luckily enough…
Mike Leigh’s film Mr. Turner centers on the last twenty-five years of the life of the acclaimed 19th century English landscape painter, J.M.W. Turner. Though the film, with the strong assistance of cinematographer Dick Pope, succeeds in capturing the look and feel of the time as well as the essence of Turner’s beautiful landscapes and…
Focus Features has released the first trailer for Fifty Shades of Grey, the film adaptation of E. L. James novel of sexual fantasy, and I can already hear the exasperated gasps. Why this particular book struck a chord with every woman alive, I’ve no idea but the film is certain to liven things up further….
The Theory of Everything is a powerful, sincere film about one of the twentieth century’s greatest minds. That it never becomes mired in maudlin sentiment is astounding, given the standard succeeding-despite-the-odds story of its legendary subject, the esteemed physicist Stephen Hawking. The leads are more than adequate; they own the roles of Hawking and his…
We just finished up with “Annabelle,” the horror prequel for “The Conjuring,” so it is now time to discuss the horror prequel for “Insidious,” Insidious: Chapter 3. In this installment the supernatural entity has taken a liking to an injured teenaged girl who appears to live only with her father. Why is not known yet…
The distinction between being a monster on the inside and being a monster on the outside is clearly of great interest to the creative minds at stop-motion animation house Laika Entertainment. The dangers of oblivious parenting and morally wayward adults in general are also wells of narrative possibilities that the Laika masterminds return to often….
